Kungawo Booi's Father Shares Emotional Tribute to Son, Cops Investigate Rugby Player's Strange Death

• Malusi Booi shared an emotional tribute on social media for his son, Kungawo, who recently passed away
• The 17-year-old Westering High School learner suffered an injury during practice and passed away as a result
• Booi explained how he felt when he heard the news and how the tragedy affected Kungawo's siblings

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

EASTERN CAPE – Malusi Booi shared an emotional tribute to his son on X following the 17-year-old’s untimely death.

Kungawo Xhanti Booi, a pupil at Westering High School in Gqeberha, collapsed and died on the school's rugby field on Thursday, 4 December 2026, while practising.

According to police, Kungawo was busy practising rugby when he suffered an injury. He received medical attention on the scene, but sadly passed away. The Gqeberha police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

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How is the Booi family honouring a life?

As the Booi family prepares for the funeral on Saturday, 13 December 2025, tributes and messages of support continue to pour in. The former Cape Town Human Settlements Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) also received overwhelming support after sharing a post on X of his son.

Booi took to social media to share a few photos of his son playing rugby, captioning it ‘Died with your boots on’.

How did Kungawo's tragedy impact his family?

Speaking about the moment he received the news, Booi said that he felt an overwhelming sense of shock and disbelief.

“I was on the farm in Ugie when I got the call from his twin brother and their sister. It was just after 12 pm, and they were both just crying on the phone,” he explained.

The businessman described the teen as a very humble, well-liked fellow who loved his school and rugby, and was preparing to join the senior team next year.

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The former Human Settlements MMC also explained how the tragedy affected the family, saying it was every parent’s worst nightmare. He added that Kungawo’s siblings, particularly his twin brother, Kungazo, were struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

“It’s a tragic one for our family. This is extremely painful. Especially for his twin brother, they played rugby together for the same team, and he was there when the incident happened. He is really struggling with all of this,” Booi explained.

While there have not been many deaths of promising rugby players this year, the country has lost several former Springboks.

Rugby player disappears at sea during training in Cape Town

In a related article, two members of the French Under-18 coaching staff were disciplined after a young player vanished at sea.

Medhi Narjissi (17) was swept out to sea during a training session held at Dias Beach near Cape Point on 7 August 2024.

Briefly News reported that the coaches were sanctioned for their involvement in the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Source: Briefly News