Families mourn loved ones lost to violence
Image: File
AS SUNDAY approaches, the shadow of tragedy looms large for Vani Ganas. Her world was forever altered one year ago when her children, Olysha and Owen Ganas, tragically lost their lives in a car crash on the M19 near Reservoir Hills.
The crash, allegedly caused by a reckless street racer, has left their family grappling with a sense of loss and injustice - as no one has been held accountable.
Ganas said she and her family felt "let down" by the police.
'None of them have done anything. We do not get feedback anymore. We keep calling but the calls are not answered. They do not respond to emails from us or our attorneys. We were last told that the investigations were ongoing. The investigating officer has changed twice, and none of them have made any headway in the case," Ganas told the POST this week.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
According to the recent findings by the Human Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) South African Social Attitudes Survey, trust in the police had reached an "all-time low".
The findings showed that only 22% of South Africans expressed confidence in the police in 2022, with similarly low levels recorded in 2023 and 2024/25.
For Ganas, these findings resonate deeply.
She too, she said, had "lost faith in the police".
Olysha, 27, a beautician, and her brother, Owen, 25, a plant manager for a construction company, were making a U-turn at a traffic light when the driver of a BMW one series crashed into their Audi A3. Their car exploded into flames. It has been alleged that the BMW driver was a street racer.
Police arrested a suspect on August 2, 2024, but the National Prosecuting Authority said the matter was not placed on the court roll due to 'insufficient evidence'.
'The circumstances surrounding the accident were clear. It is shocking that nobody can do anything about it and nobody is held accountable. Forensic tests were done three times to identify my children's remains. We did it privately at our own cost, so the test results could be given to us quicker. Their funerals were conducted two weeks after the incident and they had closed caskets," she said.
"Sunday will be one year since my children passed away. We have heard that the person responsible is still racing and doing reckless things. We still hope the driver will be held accountable for their deaths."
Ganas said since the incident, she and her husband have been prescribed medication for depression and anxiety, and that Owen's five-year-old son was seeing a child psychologist.
Brothers Seelan Pillay (deceased), Vasu Pillay, Brandon Pillay, and Terrance Subramoney (deceased).
Image: Supplied
Diminished faith
Following the deaths of his two brothers in drive-by shootings and a third stabbed to death in Chatsworth, Brandon Pillay said no arrests or updates had also diminished his faith in the police.
On October 8, 2022, private investigator Seelan Pillay, 49, a former police officer who was the Bayview Community Policing Forum (BCPF) chairperson at the time, was shot outside a fast food outlet on Lenny Naidu Drive in Bayview.
He was handing money to a car guard when an SUV drove up to his vehicle and two suspects fired several shots at him and fled. He died at the scene.
Terrance 'Spoons' Subramoney, 48, faced the same fate when gunmen opened fire on him while he was at the intersection of Havenside Drive and Lenny Naidu Drive in on December 3, 2023.
About 16 gunshots were fired. The father of four died at the scene, which was less than a kilometer away from the spot where Seelan was killed.
Years earlier, his brother, Trevor, was stabbed in the neck. The incident happened on February 22, 1999, when Trevor was only 21.
Trevor Subramoney
Image: Supplied
Pillay, a former Member of Parliament and community activist, said: 'In a space of 13 months, I lost two of my older brothers. They were killed in broad daylight. To this day, nothing has been done and nobody has been arrested. We have lost faith in the police to a large extent.'
He said Trevor was alive and bleeding profusely when he saw him, and he had told him who had stabbed him.
'The suspect was caught and spent three-and-a-half years awaiting trial. He went to trial but was acquitted of all charges because the witness's statements became inadmissible as they were highly intoxicated. The justice system let us down,' said Pillay.
'After Seelan's death, we struggled as a family. We struggled to sleep. I was a walking zombie. It destroyed us. I was angry, upset and disappointed and I still am. Seelan gave his entire life to law enforcement. He served the SAPS as a detective for many years, and went on to serve the BCPF.
'He protected the community and still his death became a statistic. We were not over his death or coping with it when the same thing happened to Terrance.
'Despite all the camera footage and evidence, the police have still not moved even an inch with the case.
'As a family we want nothing more than successful arrests. Although this will not bring back our loved ones, we will find solace knowing that the people responsible have been brought to book,' he said.
THE POST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
8 hours ago
- IOL News
‘Millions of Assumptions': Wins SARS Fraud Case, Casts Doubt on Blue Lights Trial
Defence attorney Pierre du Toit successfully argued that there was no evidence of fraud, deception, or intent to mislead SARS Image: Supplied The State's long-standing corruption case against businessman Vimpie Phineas Manthata suffered a major blow this week when the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court acquitted him and his co-accused in a R19 million tax fraud case that had formed a central pillar of the broader 'blue lights' procurement scandal. The verdict, delivered by Magistrate Phindi Keswa, saw Manthata, his company Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (ITLE), and bookkeeper Judy Rose cleared of all charges related to alleged violations of the Tax Administration Act during the 2018 and 2019 tax years. Legal experts say the State's inability to prove its SARS case beyond a reasonable doubt will now put additional pressure on the corruption trial, which has already faced years of delays, procedural blunders, and accusations of political motivation. 'The prosecution could not distinguish between clerical mistakes and criminal conduct,' Magistrate Keswa ruled. 'Assumptions and administrative discrepancies cannot be used to build a case without clear evidence of intent.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ SARS Case Unravels The SARS prosecution had alleged that Manthata's company manipulated its tax returns to avoid paying nearly R19 million in VAT and other obligations. But defence attorney Pierre du Toit successfully argued that there was no evidence of fraud, deception, or intent to mislead SARS.'This case is not about millions of rands, it is about millions of assumptions,' Du Toit told the court during closing arguments. 'The burden is on the State to prove guilt, and it has failed to do so in spectacular fashion.' He cited landmark cases including *State versus Prinsloo* and *State versus Futche*, which require a demonstration of clear intent to commit fraud — a standard the court agreed had not been officials admitted under cross-examination that they had no direct proof of falsified entries, and Rose testified that all bookkeeping was done using standard software and practices. Implications for the Blue Lights Trial The collapse of the tax case undermines the State's broader narrative in the so-called blue lights corruption case, in which Manthata, former acting national police commissioner Kgomotso Phahlane, and ten others face charges linked to the irregular procurement of emergency police equipment worth R191 million. The State had portrayed ITLE as a central vehicle for corrupt payments, with the SARS case meant to illustrate how the company allegedly misrepresented its financial affairs. Now, with the tax fraud allegations discredited, the entire corruption case may be on shaky ground. Last week, the same court postponed the blue lights trial yet again — this time to October 2025 — after severe criticism of the State's inability to produce a coherent charge sheet more than seven years after the case was first opened. Growing Criticism of the Prosecution Magistrate Ashika Ramalal lambasted the prosecution's handling of the case, saying the delays and repeated administrative errors were unacceptable. Still, she ruled that the trial would go ahead next year, warning that no further postponements would be tolerated. Defence attorneys argued that their clients had suffered severe prejudice and that the continued delays were violating their right to a fair and timely trial. Accused number 9 was even left without legal representation at one point, prompting the State to suggest separating the charges — a proposal strongly opposed by the defence. The situation has been further complicated by the State's repeated failure to serve Phahlane properly and controversy over the dropping and reinstatement of charges against Manthata, a move legal observers say sets a dangerous precedent. But with one major case already dismissed and serious doubts now hanging over the remaining charges, many are questioning whether the blue lights corruption trial will ever result in a conviction, or if it is yet another politically entangled case destined to collapse under the weight of its mismanagement.
IOL News
10 hours ago
- IOL News
Public Works Minister takes action against alleged political abuse in Matjhabeng's EPWP
EPWP payments frozen in Matjhabeng amid claims of councillors receiving over R31,000 monthly; Minister vows to root out corruption and restore the programme's core purpose. Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson has halted all Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) fund transfers to the Matjhabeng Local Municipality. This comes after a City Press investigation revealed that the municipality's EPWP payroll is allegedly being used to pay inflated salaries, over R31,000 per month , to former councillors and current political office bearers, more than ten times the average EPWP stipend. Macpherson said the EPWP was never meant to serve as a vehicle for political patronage, but rather to provide short-term, skills-based work opportunities to unemployed South Africans. He has now instructed the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to suspend all transfers to the municipality until a formal investigation is completed.
IOL News
11 hours ago
- IOL News
Hawks continuing investigation into mysterious theft of R200 million drugs theft at DCPI offices
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks, has confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this elaborate heist is ongoing, yet clarity remains elusive. Image: File More than four years after R200 million worth of drugs vanished from the Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime offices in 2021, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), known as the Hawks, states that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain uncertain and are still under investigation. At the time, the Hawks announced the launch of an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding this unexpected break-in, which set tongues wagging over the R200 million cocaine theft. However, the VP Justice Foundation, through its founder, Visham Panday has questioned whether anyone has been held accountable for the theft. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ With the ongoing spotlight on police inflitration by alleged drug kingpins, Panday has placed the blame squarely on Major General Lesetja Senona, the head of the province's Hawks. "How come General Senona was not suspended when the drugs disappeared from his watch. He is still being paid a salary, when more than 200 million worth of drugs were allegedly stolen. Now that the NPA has launched the investigation, heads are rolling. That surprises us as the VP Justice Foundation, we want to know why Senona and his team are not arrested. We know about the investigation, but the question is, what are they doing about it?" he said. In 2021, responding to the break-in, Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo, in a statement, said the incident was suspected to have occurred between 4 pm and 7 am, after which a case of business burglary having been registered for further investigation. 'The suspects gained entry into the building by forcing open the windows. One of the safes in the office, which was used to store exhibits, was tampered with. The suspects stole 541kg of cocaine drugs to the street value of R200 000 000 and ransacked the office where safes were kept,' she said. This week, Mbambo said the Hawks are investigating the matter stating:"Investigation into the theft of drugs at the DPCI Port Shepstone still continues and details thereof cannot be made available to the public so as to protect the integrity of the investigation." In an email to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Gosai and Incoporated said it is aware of the NPA investigation involving Major General Senona related to the R200 million drug theft. "Our clinet calls for the immediate suspension of General Senona and other implicated persons, pending the finalisation of the investigation and decision, and instructs that he is the person in the possession of the evidence whichhwhich could be of assistence and is prepared to meet with the NPA to handover." However, the NPA was never able to confirm the alleged investigation into the matter following attemps to get comment from the NPA with Generl Senona also not available to respond to the allegations.
