I felt abandoned and lonely afterwards, says eldest child
THE STARspoke to Daswa’s son, Lufuno Daswa, who is a student at the University of Venda, studying teaching and who, interestingly, is not a Catholic.
Lufuno was 13, the eldest of eight siblings, when his father was killed.
“I was away at boarding school and was called by the principal. I felt very important walking with him, and this also made the other children jealous because I was getting preferential treatment and I was told I had to go home.”
He was not told why and when he got home, the house was full of people.
“My grannies took me to a room and I was told my father was no more. I was shocked, but I don’t think I realised what this meant. I didn’t understand the concept of death, and for many years I dreamt he was coming home,” he said.
His father’s death left him lonely and his family hurt.
“I messed up my studies and failed to complete matric. I rebelled for seven years, seeking the meaning of life and death, questioning his faith. There was a lot of attention around my father’s death, but I felt abandoned by everyone afterwards. There was no counselling. I felt we had been shovelled to hell,” Lufuno said.
He eventually found answers in the Church of Christ.
“Being the son of a saint puts big pressure on me, especially as the eldest,” he said. – Anna Cox