“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 robbed and stabbed four times in Geneva, Bhambayi, on Tuesday around 8pm. The Naidoo family live in Redfern, Phoenix. Family and friends expressed their grief and paid tribute to Romano at his funeral held at the Bible Believers Church on Friday. The mourners spoke about how respectable and hardworking Romano was. They described how he took care of his disabled father and mother, who suffers from leukaemia and also cared for his sick grandmother. Speaking to The 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,” said Debra.
The mother added 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 Debra. 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 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 community was very supportive and waited with us until the police and ambulance arrived,” 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. 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. Owen Padayachee, a relative, said that Romano was the light of his home. “He was very respectable, independent and would never ask anybody for anything. We want justice to prevail. All lives matter. We should not rest until the perpetrators are brought to book,” said Padayachee.
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. Gertrude Mxinwa , a community leader, who lives not far from the crime scene said that at the moment, they do not know who the perpetrators are. “There are suspects who are being investigated. We will be happy if they catch the people who did the murder, so that they can face the consequences,” she said. Saroj Govender, peace committee convenor for Phoenix, who attended Romano’s funeral, said: “The inhumane way Romano’s life was taken left the Phoenix and Geneva community in yet another trauma. We are just trying to heal from the unrest, by attending meetings on peace and reconciliation. However, I can confirm from the deceased’s uncle, Vernon, it was not a racist attack but robbery and a criminal act. Romano was well known in Geneva, and the community was very angry when they found Romano stabbed to death. The staff where Romano was employed spoke of how hard he worked and spoke very little. I was humbled to hear the late Romano never had a girlfriend at his age. He focused on two important women in his life which was his grandmother and his sick mom.”
