Uncle, nephew die as van lodges in tree
PRESHEN Ponen will always remember seeing the bodies of his loved ones slumped in a van.
His uncle, Kevin Moonsamy, 42, and brother, Shogan Julian Ponen, 34, both from Sandfields in Tongaat, died when Shogan’s van was lodged in a tree during a storm last Monday.
Moonsamy was a supervisor at a private security company and Shogan was a fabricator at a steelworks company.
“My uncle was unwell and he went to the clinic in the Tongaat CBD. When he was done, he called Shogan to pick him up. By then, the rain began pelting down and the water level on the roads rose quickly,” Preshen said.
“My mother called Shogan and told him the house was flooded and the water was rising. He said he would be home soon. En route, he drove over a bridge. When he reached the entrance to the road where our mother lived, the van became lodged.
“Some of the neighbours told us water filled up in the van and they were too scared to help. The current pushed the van and it then lodged in a tree. The water continued to fill the vehicle and the neighbours heard them scream for help.”
He said a neighbour called his mother Nancy to tell her what was happening.
“She called to tell me about my brother and the house flooding. I told her to grab all her important documents and some clothing and leave with my younger brother, Shaylin. They then walked to a friend’s home.”
Preshen, 32, said he arrived and watched a tow truck dislodge the van. “I ran to the vehicle. My brother’s body was slumped over the steering wheel and my uncle was lying over him. It appeared as if my uncle was trying to open the driver’s door. I touched their bodies and they were cold. I just began to scream.”
He said Shaylin, 19, arrived and they both returned to their home to get a cloth to cover the bodies. “My mother came with us. She was devastated. We waited about seven hours in the rain for their bodies to be removed.”
Preshen said Moonsamy, who lived elsewhere in the area, had been promoted to a supervisor last month.
“He was so excited. Things were working out well for him. He was a hard worker and his dedication to his job had paid off. My uncle was kind-hearted. After my father died in 2018, he was always there for us. He and Shogan had a close bond.”
Preshen said two days before his brother’s death, they had spent time fixing his car.
“He told me to work hard to build a better life. It’s still difficult to believe they are gone. This storm brought so much destruction. The image of their lifeless bodies will remain with me.”
He said they had spent the past few days cleaning his mother’s home.
Moonsamy and Shogan’s funerals were held on Saturday at the Tongaat Crematorium.