Lichtenburg - A street will be named in memory of slain Blydeville teenager Spencer Tshukudu, mourners were told at his funeral on Saturday.
"One street in [Blydeville] extension four will be named after him," community leader Philip Lottering said.
"This boy means a lot to us. I do not think it was his time. At the age of 15 you do not think of death."
Tshukudu was allegedly shot dead by Jaco du Plooy, 46, on October 10 while he was diverting traffic on the R52 leading to Sannieshof to avoid protests further down the road.
Du Plooy alleged that he fired several shots at a group of eight men in self-defense as they were attacking him and his employees. Tshukudu died at the scene, while two other people with him were wounded.
Du Plooy handed himself over to police on the night of October 10 and was released on R20,000 bail on October 19. His case has been postponed to November 30 for further investigation.
On Saturday, Lottering told hundreds of mourners that the youth in Blydeville should realise there was no time to waste on drugs and substance abuse. "I want all to be successful, but you must go to school to achieve that success. Matric is nothing today. You must go to colleges and universities. I need Blydeville people to see a bright future."
Tshukudu was praised as a talented soccer player. "He was a good soccer player. In 2016 his mother asked me to speak to him as he had changed. He dropped out of school, but returned this year and went on to become a class prefect. He had a bright future ahead of him," Blydeville Primary School principal James Bantom said.
Ditsobotla mayor Daniel Buthelezi asked residents to be calm. "Our hope is that it cannot be today or tomorrow, but justice will be served. We must take comfort in that the matter is before the court of law."
He said the municipality was responding to all the issues raised by the community which had led to the protest, and pleaded with them not to chase away municipal workers when they were in the area to provide services.
"Do not chase municipal workers; allow them in your area so that the municipality must not have an excuse for not providing services to you."
Police were deployed along the road to the Burgersdorp cemetery where Tshukudu was buried. A police helicopter monitored the funeral procession from the sky as mourners snaked through the streets of Lichtenburg to the cemetery.
A kilometre away from the cemetery his coffin was removed from the hearse and community members lifted it shoulder high as they carried it the rest of the way singing liberation songs.
African National Congress and Economic Freedom Fighters members sang, chanted, and marched together, displaying their respective party flags.