Traffic cop Tshepi never held grudges
Kotelo will be buried with her mom, with whom she shared a very special bond
Born: May 27 1991
Died: August 27
Funeral: On Sunday in Ntoane village near Dennilton, Limpopo
Burial: At the local cemetery
The slain Tshepi Kotelo was described as a friendly and loving person who had a passion of building friendships with people.
Kotelo died on Sunday together with her mother after the two were shot dead allegedly by a man she had a romantic relationship with.
She and her mother, Chileke Makitla, were allegedly killed while at their home at Malaeneng Section of Ntoane village near Dennilton, Limpopo.
At the time of her death, Kotelo, 26, was an intern traffic officer at the Elias Motsoaledi municipality in Groblersdal after having completed her training in December.
Born Tshepi Mokelo Makitla in 1991 at Thabakhubedu Section of Ntoane, Kotelo was the last-born in a family of four children.
She and her siblings had assumed the surname of their mother as they grew up, while their mother continued keeping their father’s surname.
She started her schooling at Mothibedi Primary in 1998 and proceeded to Nala Secondary School before she completed her studies at Nkangala FET College in 2014.
Prior to training as a traffic officer, Kotelo first worked at Metropolitan insurance company from September 2014 to mid-2015.
Her elder sister, Elizabeth, described her as someone who loved people and was always willing to go the extra mile to help others.
“As a family, we will remember Tshepi as someone who was always wearing a smile and never held grudges with anyone,” said Elizabeth.
She said they were still hoping for better things from her.
“Her death has left a huge void in the family. It is even painful that she died with our mother, with whom she shared a special bond and lived together,” she added.
Kotelo’s colleagues have also described her as a hardworking person who was always willing to learn new things relating to her work. Lindiwe Mtsweni said she was heartbroken about her death.
“Kotelo’s death has pained me a lot, especially knowing that she was still young and she was still learning a lot of things at work,” said Mtsweni.
Christian van Rooyen, acting manager at the Groblersdal-based municipality, said they had lost a “hard worker”.
“Though Kotelo only joined us in January this year, she was always working hard and was active in her work. She was also a soft-spoken and gentle woman. We will miss her and may her soul rest in peace,” said Van Rooyen.
She will be buried alongside her 62-year-old mother on Sunday, with the service starting at home from 7.30am.