The jockey who rode the winning horse in the Dundee July only weeks ago was killed while travelling with a taxi owner during a community protest in the Eastern Cape.
The father of the Dundee 2023 champion from Mpumalanga is still in shock after his son lost his life in the Alfred Nzo municipality.
Champion jockey Lindani Dube, 26, was killed on Tuesday alongside taxi owner Nqaba Bandlat.
Dube's horse, Alpha and Omega, galloped off with a coveted R300,000 in prize money at the 18th edition of the esteemed equine event on 15 July.
Together, they defied the odds by beating the favourite, the horse Nxakanxaka, from Amajuba
District.
Dube's father, Moses Dube, told Scrolla.Africa that his son left home on Monday to participate in a horse riding event in Alfred Nzo, which is expected to take place on 2 September.
"He told me that he was asked by Bandla, who is a taxi owner in Eastern Cape, that he wants him to ride his horse, known as Ikusasa Alaziwa, at the horse riding competition," a grief-stricken Dube explained.
"He left Alpha and Omega at home because he was going to ride Ikusasa Alaziwa in Bandla." Dube said he is travelling to Alfred Nzo to get more details on his son's murder.
Lindani Dube was born in October 1996. He is survived by his parents and his three children.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, described the passing of Dube as a "sombre shadow over the world of equine excellence".
Pictured above: Lindani Dube on his horse Alpha and Omega and his father Moses Dube (centre right) celebrating their win at the 2023 Dundee July. Pictured here with uMzinyathi District Municipality Mayor Reverend Petros Ngubane (left) and KZN MEC for Sport Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba (right).
Image source: Supplied
