Little Davin Africa has been laid to rest.
The forever four-year-old, tragically shot and killed while sleeping next to his pregnant mother in Wesbank, just two days before his fifth birthday, was buried this past Saturday.
Davin's death comes a year after the loss of his older sister, Kelly-Amber Koopman, who was also a victim of gang violence. The 12-year-old girl was shot dead in November 2023 in Ou Plaas Street during load shedding.
The funeral, held at Wesbank High School, was attended by hundreds of mourners who gathered to say their final goodbyes to the young boy. The hall was so packed that some attendees had to stand outside.
Amidst the family's struggles to raise enough funds for the funeral, Xavier Jooste from Jooste Funeral Services stepped in to offer his assistance. Jooste shared that when he received the call for help, he immediately put everything aside to support the grieving family.
"When they contacted me, I responded right away. It was that ‘my child is your child’ feeling that overcame me," Jooste said. "As a parent, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to not be able to lay my child to rest with dignity."
He explained that he didn't do it for recognition, nor did he hire a photographer, as he wanted to help out of genuine compassion. "I did it as if Davin were my own. I didn't do it for fame. I just did it from my heart."
As Davin's white coffin was carried to the front of the hall, Jooste recalled the overwhelming emotion from the attendees, with many in tears.
"There wasn’t a dry eye. Davin didn’t deserve to go like this, he really didn’t," Jooste said.
"When they asked me to include Spider-Man on the pamphlet, it hit even harder. This is a child, and it took me back to when my baby brother was knocked over by a drunk driver and passed away."
Jooste believes that Davin was smiling from Heaven, feeling the love and support his family received from the community.
"He saw all the love and support his family got from those attending. I believe he was buried with the dignity he deserved."
Davin's mother, Undean Koopman, was at the hospital waiting for a baby scan when Weekend Argus reached out to her.
"Davin would have been here now, so excited to see how the baby is moving. He looked forward to being a big brother."
Koopman expressed her gratitude to Jooste for his efforts in making the funeral possible. "Xavier did everything; we didn’t have to lift a finger. Thank you, Xavier, and thank you to the community for all the support. Now, I am just taking it a day at a time."
Weekend Argus