South African rugby player Luqobo “Bibo” Makwedini will be laid to rest on 1 August at Qumrha City Hall in the Eastern Cape after his body was repatriated from France.
Makwedini, 20, died earlier this month after collapsing during a training session with French Pro D2 club AS Béziers Hérault in Béziers. He was rushed to hospital, where he later died. While the exact cause of death has not been officially confirmed, reports have suggested he suffered heatstroke.
His family confirmed that his remains have arrived back in South Africa, allowing funeral preparations to begin.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Makwedini’s elder brother, Sihle Makwedini, thanked the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the Ministry of Sport for assisting with the repatriation process.
“We would like to thank the Department of International Relations and the Sports Ministry for assisting us in making sure that my brother is back in the country. As a family, we are going through a wave of emotions but are overall grateful that we can now start with the funeral preparations,” he said.
The funeral service will take place at Qumrha City Hall on Friday, 1 August.