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Lindani Myeni’s widow Lindsay thanks government, wants citizenship to settle in SA

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The wife of the late Lindani Myeni, Lindsay, has expressed gratitude to the SA government for its support and giving her husband’s name justice.

Lindani, a former rugby player from KZN, was shot dead by Hawaii police in an altercation last month after police responded to an alleged “burglary in progress” at a home in Nuuanu.

His memorial service took place in Empangeni on Thursday and his funeral is set to take on Saturday.

Lindsay, who is a US citizen, said the SA government was “overwhelmingly supportive”.

“The US government has not given any support, not even a comment, nothing. The mayor in Honolulu also has no response. He knows the police department is in trouble, so I am guessing there’s not much for him to say without making them look bad,” said Lindsay.

“We are still suing the Honolulu police department and we are waiting for them to give back his [Lindani’s] cellphone, his clothes and headband.”

Lindsay said she planned to apply for SA citizenship and wants to raise her two children in the country because she believes they could be targeted by US police for being black.

“My next steps, honestly, I need help from the SA government to get me citizenship so I can stay in my children’s home country without my husband,” she said.

“People think when you are married citizenship to each other’s countries is automatic but it takes five years each side.

“We’ve always wanted the flexibility to be in whichever country the kids can prosper most and right now I feel like this is the safest country for them. I don’t want to raise kids that are considered black in America, where it’s clearly not safe,” she added.

KZN premier Sihle Zikalala said the investigation into Lindani’s death was ongoing, claiming that the statement issued by the US government on what happened the night Lindani was killed was not convincing.

“What we have been told so far is not convincing, it only tells us that he was a suspect … that doesn’t mean you can kill a person because you don’t trust them. We want more investigation on the matter,” he said.

He said President Cyril Ramaphosa supported the ongoing investigation.

“Those who took Lindani’s life want us to believe that he was a criminal and a violent man, but those who knew him intimately tell tales of a soft-spoken, gentle giant who was always considerate and compassionate.”


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