RICHMOND, South Africa Hundreds of mourners gathered for Sunday's funeral of assassinated United Democratic Movement (UDM) General Secretary Sifiso Nkabinde amid massive security in his township stronghold. Nkabinde's body was brought from his home in the UDM-supporting Magoda township near Richmond for a brief service in a simple church nearby. The hearse bearing his body then rolled slowly about two kilometres (one mile) along a road through the township to a local cemetery, followed by hundreds of mourners.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, deputy leader Roelf Meyer and local church leaders led the procession as a police helicopter chattered overhead. On the ground, soldiers and police kept a close watch for any trouble from the neighbouring African National Congress (ANC)-supporting township of Ndaleni, home to 11 ANC members massacred in reprisal for Nkabinde's assassination last week. (AFP)