Tributes flood in for crash victims

There has been a flood of tributes from the Northdale community for two prominent men who were killed in a car crash on Good Friday.

Condolences and messages of sympathy have been pouring in on social media for Suvag Maharaj (32) and Nizaam Moosa (37), who are closely linked to two wellknown businesses in Northdale.

The two friends were driving on the Chota Motala Road flyover towards the N3 when the accident occurred.

Maharaj and Moosa were well-known and well-loved by the community and remembered as car enthusiasts who both had a passion for helping people.

Maharaj, who ran Maney’s Garage, was described by customers and close friends as having a “big heart”.

“Everyone was sad and had unique memories of him. People from diverse backgrounds came to pay their respects - people of different religions, different ages, the poor, the rich, little kids who he entertained and old people who he had helped,” said Muzhar Hoorzuk, a close friend of Maharaj.

Hoorzuk said he had lost a part of himself. “So much of our lives were spent together on a daily basis. Maharaj had big arms, a big mouth and a big heart. He also spoke the most amount of nonsense but we also had the most amount of fun together.

Hoorzuk added that he had a passion for cars and had a car collection most enthusiasts were envious of.

“Cars were his biggest and greatest passion. He was extremely proud of his cars. Many were featured in magazines and many photoshoots were done. People from all over knew him and spoke of him, but the majority of them did not even meet him. That’s the kind of impact he had on people,” he added.

Another friend, Kimmera Beharie, described Maharaj as a person who was always willing to lend a helping hand.

“It is difficult to find words to describe who he was as a person given that he was so many things to so many people. It’s not often that one single individual is able to hold that much in so many lives, and still add value to others at the same time.

“That’s what made him so great. Suvag was always kind and ready to help anyone, but most importantly, he was unapologetically himself. What you saw is exactly what you got,” said Beharie.

She added that she was in disbelief at Maharaj’s passing. “I initially thought I was dreaming because I had fallen asleep on the couch. I didn’t want to accept the news, not even upon seeing him. A huge chunk of my heart has left with him,” said Beharie.

She said that Maharaj had left a lasting impact on the community as well. “The community is greatly saddened by the loss of Suvag. He was well known as a person who was ready to help anyone. As a reflection of how loved he was, on the day of his funeral, people gathered in their hundreds to honour him,” said Beharie.

Moosa, who worked at Ideals Brick Face, was loved by his colleagues and remembered as a diligent worker and great salesman. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

His younger sister, Saffiya Moosa, said his family was devastated. “My family is heartbroken. We are trying to be there for each other and to give support to his wife and children.”

She described Moosa as a positive person. “He was bubbly, energetic and always ready to try something new. When he entered the room, it was like the room came alive. He always joked with everyone,” she said.

She said her system was jolted when she heard out about the accident. “When I heard about the accident, I assumed he was okay. however, when I got to the accident scene, my body went cold. I was expecting to see him there, laughing and joking, but instead I saw his lifeless body in the car,” she added.

His sister said he was well known in the community. “The question should be who didn’t know Nizaam? I knew that he was well-known, but I didn’t realise by how many people until the day of the funeral,” she said.

Ideals Brick Face owner Sikander Moosa, who is also Moosa’s cousin, said his death has left a huge void.

“He will be greatly missed. Moosa worked here for 15 years. He was always on time, a good salesperson. He was someone you could always rely on. We will miss him. He was well-known by all the customers and he took a lot of interest in what he did,” his cousin said.

Nicky Jooster, a long-time colleague of Moosa, said she will miss him. “He was a lovely person who you could always rely on,” she said.

Zuber Moosa said it felt like he had lost a brother. “Moosa always helped and went above and beyond. We feel his loss greatly and it has had a great impact on our lives,” he said.

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