Soon after their son Motjeka Madisha was laid to rest in Ga-Madisha village in Zebediela, the family of the late Mamelodi Sundowns defender was allegedly accosted by police.
Reports have emerged that the South African Police Service invaded their homestead with rifles after Madisha's funeral in Limpopo on Saturday.
View pictures from Madisha's funeral in the gallery above
Madisha was laid to rest after passing away in a car accident in December last year.
His funeral was attended by the Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufu and Limpopo MEC for Sport and Recreation Thandi Moraka.
However, the occasion was marred by ugly scenes of violence after members of SAPS allegedly arrived at Madisha's homestead carrying rifles and threatened to arrest his father on allegations of contravening Covid-19 protocols.
According to people who attended the funeral, the situation was so bad that the police arrived on the scene in an uncompromising mood carrying firearms.
"This was so bad. Madisha was a national hero and didn't deserve this treatment even in his grave," says community member Sello Moeti who watched the incident from a distance.
"They came carrying guns and wanted to force Madisha's father into the police van."
Madisha's spokesperson Fannie Tsela explains the incident in more detail.
"I think there was an ulterior motive. There were about four or five police vans during the funeral and I watched the proceedings at a distance," Tsela tells snl24.com/kickoff.
"But after we came back from the burial site they arrived back with rifles and threatened to arrest Motjeka Madisha's father.
"I don't know where the reports that we contravened the Covid-19 protocols come from because we had a register and when the number reached 50 we stopped people from coming inside the yard.
"We still have to meet as a family to discuss the matter and see a way forward."
Mogatle station commander Lieutenant Colonel Kanyane confirms the incident but referred this website to SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, who did not pick up our calls or respond to text messages after several attempts.
"Yes, the police went there after they contravened the Covid-19 protocols," says Kanyane. "But the right person to speak to is our spokesperson, please contact him."