Murder charges dropped
THE family of slain retired farmer Goberdhan “Dan” Sahadew are angry after the charges against his alleged killers were withdrawn.
Sahadew, 74, who lived alone and ran a tuckshop from his home in Holmbosch, Nonoti, a rural area outside KwaDukuza, was killed on February 6.
According to police, Sahadew was allegedly attacked by two suspects.
“It is alleged that the suspects locked the door, assaulted, strangled and stabbed the victim in the chest. They took his cellphones, shotgun, cash and other items and drove away in his vehicle. The vehicle was later found abandoned not far from the crime scene,” said Captain Nqobile Gwala, a provincial police spokesperson.
Sahadew’s family previously told the POST that a group of children who went to the tuckshop the next morning, saw blood on the ground outside the front door. They went to a nearby farm for help. A local farmer found Sahadew dead on the kitchen floor with stab wounds to his chest.
Charges of murder and robbery were opened at the KwaDukuza police station for investigation.
Nhlanhla Mhlongo, 22, Sakhile Cele, 25, and Sphamandla Cele were arrested and charged with robbery and murder. However, the charges were withdrawn against them in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Advocate Elaine Zungu, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in KwaZulu-Natal, said: “The decision was taken after careful analysis of the evidence in the docket. The matter was referred for further investigations.”
Vikesh Sahadew, his youngest son, said: “Will my father’s killing be just another case swept under the rug? Will he ever get justice? The news of the charges being withdrawn, not even provisionally withdrawn, has taken an emotional toll on our entire family. We feel this is literally a case of incompetence and the result of a lack of investigation. Has it become that easy for anyone to get away with murder?
“But our family is not going to remain silent. We intend to write to the DPP offices and to the provincial police office to take over the investigation and we call on them to ensure that my father's killers are brought to book. We will do everything it takes to get justice.”