Durban - "My son is basically a ticking time bomb. At any moment he could have a seizure or stroke.”
Vasie Govender is a worried woman - not just for her son, Dinoshen, who suffered severe head trauma in a car crash involving a police vehicle, but her other son Livasen, who broke his pelvis and injured his shoulder, kidney and liver.
It’s a pain and grief shared not only by Govender, but another mother who has to deal with something more tragic, the death of her son.
For a third mother, the loss of her daughter was too much to bear. She died, heartbroken, last week.
The Govender brothers were back-seat passengers in a car being driven by their friend, Clayton Saville.
Their other friend, Cindy Radebe, was a front-seat passenger in a Toyota Yaris they were travelling in.
Their car was allegedly hit by a vehicle driven by a metro police officer on March 27 in New Germany.
Saville, 32, a sheet metal worker and Radebe, 34, died in the crash.
Livasen, 26, a pallet controller from Reservoir Hills and Dinoshen, 22, a caterer from Gauteng, survived the crash but were severally injured.
Their mother and Saville’s mom, Samantha, are now demanding answers from the authorities.
“My sons were seated at the back of the Yaris. Livasen is now having difficulty walking but is in a stable condition at a hospital in Westville,” said Vasie.
Dinoshen has since been discharged.
“Doctors have diagnosed him with traumatic brain injury. He is unable to remember anything that is connected to the accident.
"My son is basically a ticking time bomb and at any moment he could have a seizure or stroke.”
Vasie described her sons as having been healthy before the crash. They now need around-the-clock care for the next three months at least.
“If you watch the video you can see the impact at which she (the police officer) hit my boys, Clayton and Cindy.
"It’s been three weeks since the accident and all we are being told is that they are investigating. We have not received proper feedback.”
Samantha, from Wentworth, said she believed authorities were trying to protect the officer.
“My grandsons have been robbed of a father and my daughter-in-law robbed of a husband.
"Who is going to look after them and how are the boys to grow up without a father figure? The police officer can still go home to her family while my family weeps for my son and so does Cindy’s,” she said.
Samantha said she felt the case was not being taken seriously.
“Weeks have gone by and we are in the dark about the case. Metro police has not consulted with us about the progress of the case.
"When people die in accidents we always read about the ministers going to their homes and helping them get justice but here three families are affected and yet there is silence. Why is that so? Who is trying to protect whom?”
Samantha said Cindy’s mother had been battling to cope with her daughter’s loss and died last week.
“I am speaking out for my grandchildren and Cindy’s kids as well as Vasie’s children. We are all family friends and we want justice and we will not stop until we get it.”
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) was investigating the crash, as well as why metro police had not reported it, Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said the officer had been driving alone and on supervisory duties.
“She is now out of hospital and in recovery. She has been suspended from driving until the investigation into the crash is concluded.”
Parboo denied any cover-up.
“People must stop drawing conclusions from social media but await the outcome of the investigations by Ipid, metro police and the SAPS.”
Parboo urged witnesses or anyone with information about the crash to contact the police.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said two cases of culpable homicide were being investigated.
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