Son faces awful possibility that his father ordered a hit on his mother

Tyron Naidu, 29, who was at the Durban High Court on Friday for the judgment of accused Phumla Matseke and Sifiso Nkosi for the killing of his mother, Nalin Naidu. Picture: Leon Lestrade/African News Agency ( ANA ).

Tyron Naidu, 29, who was at the Durban High Court on Friday for the judgment of accused Phumla Matseke and Sifiso Nkosi for the killing of his mother, Nalin Naidu. Picture: Leon Lestrade/African News Agency ( ANA ).

Published Oct 6, 2018

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Durban - “Now I know he was part of it.”

That was the tragedy faced by Tyron Naidu, 29, who was at the Durban High Court on Friday for the judgment of accused Phumla Matseke and Sifiso Nkosi for the killing of his mother, Nalin Naidu, in October 2014.

His father allegedly orchestrated the hit on his mother.

Nalin, who owned a string of pharmacies with her husband, Gonasagren “Seelan” Naidu, went missing on October 29, 2014, allegedly from the Malvern Mall.

Her body was found later that day at Shongweni Quarry, her throat slit.

Matseke and Nkosi were charged with kidnapping and murder, and evidence led by the State cites them as the middlemen in the plot to kill Nalin.

Accused pair Phumla Matseke in the dock with Sifiso Nkosi entering court. Picture: Leon Lestrade/African News Agency (ANA)

They are the last two of six people on trial for her murder. The two self-confessed hitmen in the case, Zwelakhe Maphumulo and Gcina Magwaza, are already serving 30 and 22 years respectively.

Seelan was arrested as the mastermind behind her murder but died in prison awaiting trial in January 2016.

Tyron has spent the past four years not wanting to believe that his father was behind the plot to kill his mother.

The gruesome murder has split the Naidu family, with the couple’s younger son, 17, who cannot be named, living with his father’s family.

Tyron, who was supported by a large number of his mother’s family at the court yesterday, said: “This has been so difficult. We have been in court every day. Now I know he (his father) was part of it. Once the judgment is complete, that will help.”

Nalin’s mother, Shanti Bissoon, became visibly upset as the family gathered outside the courtroom and her sister, Shaleen Jay Narain, said: “It’s very upsetting to listen to the finer details of what happened. But police have done their work thoroughly and now I’m praying that the maximum sentence is given. I wish she’d told us there were problems, we would have helped her. At the funeral, Seelan was acting so innocent. I wish he was still living. It’s so traumatic to listen to what she went through.”

Nalin’s brother, Raj Krishapaul, said: “We have been going to court for three years and it’s taking a toll on our family. Listening to all the evidence, it’s inhumane that people can behave in that fashion. Nalin was such a wonderful person.”

Her cousin, Ravesh Bilasur, said: “We are still missing her a lot, it’s very emotional and we are praying for final closure.”

With the final judgment in the case, which may last up to three days, starting yesterday, acting Judge Joe Nxusani said science and technology played a major role in the case against Matseke and Nkosi.

Nalin Naidu’s mother Shanti Bissoon is comforted outside the court by Shaleen Jay Narain. Picture: Leon Lestrade/African News Agency (ANA)

It started with the post-mortem report where photos detailed “significant injury to the neck showing considerable force must have been used”, said Nxusani.

He spoke at length about the evidence given by the sixth accused in the case, Maria Sithole, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

According to testimony by Sithole, which was summed up in the judgment, Matseke and Sithole were good friends and Matseke had told Sithole that her “boss” Seelan Naidu wanted to kill his wife and had approached her to find hitmen.

The Independent On Saturday

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