“As a mother, I ask for peace. It was not about race, but criminal. My son was innocent. This is an inhumane killing and we want justice.”
These are the words of Debra Naidoo, 41, whose son Romano Naidoo, 25, was allegedly robbed and stabbed four times in Geneva, Bhambayi on Tuesday around 8pm. The Naidoo family live in Redfern, Phoenix.
Speaking to Phoenix Tabloid, the mother said that Romano worked at a plastic factory in Mount Edgecombe and was making arrangements to go to work (night shift) when the robbery occurred. “He travels to work with his supervisor but on Tuesday his supervisor went to take his vaccine. Romano went to Geneva to borrow money from his friends to travel by Uber to work. He was well known in Geneva because we lived there for ten years. Romano was a breadwinner at home. He also took care of his disabled father and sick grandmother. I am suffering from leukaemia and I do piecemeal jobs in people’s houses,” said the distraught mother.
The mother said that community members in Geneva reached out when they heard Romano’s cry for help. “One of the community members noticed it was Romano and called for assistance. My son was stabbed in the chest, stomach and back, on the left side. The knife went through his body. We think the perpetrators may have stabbed him for his work bag and black hoodie jacket because it was missing. The community claim that they saw two unknown males run away from the crime scene,” alleged the mother.
Debra said that Romano grew up in Geneva and was much loved in that community. “The children from Geneva attended Northmead Secondary School and they were all friends. It was the community members who called the police and ambulance and they came and told us what had happened to Romano,” said the mother.
Romano’s father, Selvan Naidoo, 45, said that he cannot get his son back but he wants justice to be served. “We will not leave this until the perpetrators are caught. We do not want this to happen to anyone else. The police and ambulance took very long to attend the scene. The ambulance only came at 3am. My son died at the scene. The community was very supportive and waited with us until the police and ambulance arrived. The pathway where he was attacked fell under Inanda District, so the police took long to arrive,” said the father.
The family said that Romano was intelligent and creative. “He completed his matric at Northmead Secondary with a bachelor’s pass and he loved to spend time drawing. He was hardworking, pleasant and happy go-lucky. He did not have a girlfriend because he was busy taking care of me and his grandmother,” said the mother.
“They took my innocent child’s life. The way they stabbed him, it was to kill him. We want justice. Whoever did this must be caught. Why did they do this to us? Where is the police to secure the place where Indians and Africans live alongside one another? My son loved peace. He did not like arguments,” said the mother.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson confirmed that on 31 August at 8.30pm, Inanda police received a complaint of murder at Bhambayi area and proceeded to the scene. “On arrival they found the body of a 25-year-old man with multiple stab wounds on the body. A case of murder was opened for investigation and the motive for the killing is unknown,” she added.
Romano’s funeral will be held on Friday, 3 September.
