THREE months after the murder of his sister and “the parents of the perpetrators who are prominent in our community in Benoni and Springs and are known to our family, have not shown any remorse or even reached out to us”.
Those were the words of Jeremy Moonsamy as he told of how the death of his sister Michaela Abigail, had changed his life and that of his parents, Pastor Jason and Savy Moonsamy.
He said while they were a forgiving family, they still wanted swift justice for Michaela.
In May, Michaela, 28, of Benoni, was shot dead after two men, who were allegedly intoxicated, opened fire on her, her husband, Cameron Yellapan, brother Jeremy and two of their friends outside a restaurant in Boksburg.
Michaela, a financial accountant at a law firm, was shot once in the head and took her last breath in Jeremy’s arms.
Yesterday, he said he wished he could have done more to save his sister’s life.
“This tragedy is not something anyone can take lightly. So far, this has been a very difficult time for us. In fact, it gets harder each day as we recall the close relationship we shared with Michaela. She really cared for us and we did everything together as a family,” said Jeremy.
“The nature of the passing of my sister, the way that she had to lose her life in the presence of such a large crowd, still affects me. I still cannot come to terms with this feeling of helplessness and that I had not done anything significant to protect her.
“Now that I think about it, with all the gunfire around us, I was really helpless and could not do much but just hold her in my arms until very last moment,” said a distraught Jeremy.
He said as a spiritual family, prayer was the only thing that was holding them together.
“Prayer has been our only source of comfort. We are comforting and encouraging each other. This keeps us going. God is our only source of strength and peace during this difficult and stressful time.”
He said their extended family was also a source of comfort through regular telephone calls and home visits.
“We also have friends from our church circle who have also played a pivotal role in this time and we are grateful for them. But, we must express our disappointment at our government institutions which have not offered us any form of trauma or grief counselling. Even the police and investigating office have failed to support and inform our family accordingly of the case.”
He said during this time of anxiety and unanswered questions, they had to exercise control over their emotions and state of mind.
“We are physically and emotionally drained as the days go by and this case drags on …” said Jeremy.
He said they recently held a 40 day memorial for his sister.
“While it did not help us with closure, it comforted many of our family and friends. At this point nothing will bring us closure other than justice. But, how can we have closure when the perpetrators of this barbaric crime are free and enjoying life while we are in despair and grief.
“My parents still cannot come to terms with Michaela’s death. We wake up and go to sleep in grief.”
He said the suspects who had allegedly shot Michaela had been released on bail.
“The law needs to prevail. An innocent person, who had a bright future, lost her life through someone’s careless, selfish and reckless behaviour.
“The perpetrators are living a good life with their families. They are walking the streets as if nothing had happened, with no remorse. The parents of the perpetrators who are prominent in our community in Benoni and Springs and are known to our family, have not shown any remorse or even reached out to us.
“Our President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has continuously condemned Gender Based Violence (GBV). My sister was a victim of this. The courts must hand down the proper sentence for this crime. We also want this case to be expedited so we can then deal without pain.”
Gauteng police did not comment about the arrests at the time of publication.