DURBAN - SENIOR State advocate Kelvin Singh has much to smile about.
The Malvern father of two was recently named the Prosecutor of the Year by the Society of State Advocates and Prosecutors of South Africa.
At 38, Singh, who completed three Comrades Marathons, said although he knew of his nomination, he did not expect to win.
“Receiving this award was certainly an awesome experience. It means I am doing something right. Having a panel recognise my work is also rewarding.”
For Singh, seeing the relief on victims’ families’ faces after sentencing was rewarding.
“We give a voice to the victims and their families. We are their last and final voice and we have to do right by them,” said Singh.
“You can see how a case affects a family and after sentencing, you can see the pain in their eyes disappear. It’s good knowing they can begin the process of getting closure.”
Singh, who is also a conveyancer and public notary, was raised in Chatsworth and is the youngest of six children.
“I was the only child that went to university and pursued my studies in law at the University of Natal. After qualifying with my Master’s degree, I started working at Legal Aid in uMlazi. I was both nervous and excited because as much as I was finally doing what I wanted, it was my turn to represent people and ensure I was making the right decisions.”
He then worked at Vijay Kooplall Attorneys and Atkinson Turner Dewet Attorneys before moving to Legal Aid South Africa in Pietermaritzburg.
“In 2016, my dream came true. I landed a job at the National Prosecuting Authority. Throughout my career I wanted to join the NPA because I believed that was where I could make a bigger impact.”
Speaking on his most memorable cases, he said securing convictions against those who harmed children was at the top of the list.
“The recent case of Sadia Sukhraj is definitely in my top three. Sadia’s case had many complexities. Although the accused did not fire the fatal shot, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. There were many legal issues involved with this case and the moment he was sentenced I knew I got justice for that little girl.”
Another case, he said, happened three years ago where a family’s relative killed five children.
“The relative wanted money from the parent and went to this home and slaughtered the children one by one. He then dumped their bodies in the bathroom, piled one on top of the other. It was not an easy case.
“It was long and gruesome because we had to see the pictures from the crime scene, but in the end, we got some justice for that family as the man received multiple life sentences.”
He said he often “divorced” himself from his emotions to tackle cases and took up road running and spending more time with his family, as a coping mechanism.
Singh will next work on the trial of Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, who is accused of kidnapping and killing Sydenham pupil Miguel Louw.
He said it was important to “value and appreciate the people in our lives and cherish them because anything can go wrong in a second”.