The family of 57-year-old Overport grandfather, Sanjay Ramjeewan, has been left heartbroken after they discovered that their beloved family member, who was believed to be missing, was actually lying in a morgue for more than a week after being fatally knocked by a bus.
Speaking to the Springfield Weekly Gazette, Ramjeewan’s granddaughter, Adele Chatterdari (29) from Phoenix, said that the family is struggling to come to terms with the series of events that led to the discovery of her granddad’s death.
“My grandfather was a painter by trade. He lived in a flat on Brickfield Road and worked from there. He spent the weekend of 15 July with us and returned home. On 17 July, he informed the security officer that he was going out for a bit and will return. He had his backpack, which he never leaves behind, that contained his ID and some essential items.
“On 18 July, my granddad’s employer informed a family member that he never returned to work. At that point, we were under the impression that my grandfather was on a private painting job which sometimes keeps him occupied for a few days until completion,” said Chatterdari.
According to her, on 24 July her aunt (Ramjeewan’s sister), registered a missing person case at SAPS Chatsworth.
She said: “I was contacted by Denzil and Zahed from the Ground Zero Search and Rescue organisation and they assisted to circulate my grandfather’s missing person flyer. A relative thereafter reported that he saw my grandfather around 18 or 19 July, near TAFTA in Durban. Ground Zero returned with information that my grandfather was reportedly knocked by a bus in the Kenville / Springfield area on 19 July.
“The accident was reported at SAPS Greenwood Park. Information filtered in that my granddad was taken to Poly Clinic in KwaMashu. My family went there. They had no information for us. My mom checked in with SAPS Greenwood Park and my neighbour from Pinetown Funeral Services offered to check morgues for us.
“Little did we know that my neighbour would discover my grandfather at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s morgue on 28 July. We were devastated. We held on to hope that my grandfather was alive but just out of contact. His bag could not be found. We found out that my granddad passed away on 19 July, when he was knocked. There are so many unanswered questions.”
The bus company has acknowledged the accident and relatives are dealing with that matter. Ramjeewan was laid to rest on 31 July at Woodview Cemetery.
“We are battling to process what transpired from the time my granddad left Brickfield Road until he was discovered in the morgue. It’s painful to know that he was deceased for days and we were in the dark about his death. He endured such trauma and we were clueless.”
Chatterdari said the family thanks Ground Zero Search and Rescue for their invaluable assistance in shedding light on her grandfather’s death.
“My grandfather was considered missing and we were unaware that he was deceased. Our heartfelt thanks to Denzil, Zahed and team for diligently following up on every lead to help my family locate my grandfather. Sadly, it ended in tragedy. We pray that my grandfather is finally at peace,” added Chatterdari.
