A Welbedacht man was allegedly strangled to death by his wife’s caregiver and her son, who then attempted to have him cremated without informing family members.
The mother and son, accused of murder, will make their third appearance at the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application on Tuesday, 19 August.
The deceased, 57-year-old Stephen Narayanasami Chetty, had hired a caregiver for his wife, who had suffered a stroke and was confined to her bed.
According to the sister of the deceased, Shirrene Govender, due to the caregiver struggling to get to work, she was offered accommodation.
“Later on, my brother took pity on them when she asked if her family could also live there and allowed them to stay. They had free accommodation even eating what my brother and sister in-law bought.
“On Friday, 25 April at midday, I received a call from the caregiver informing me that my brother had died. I enquired the time of his death and how he died to which she claimed in the early hours of the morning and of natural causes.
“Our family proceeded to the Marianhill Mortuary only to find out that the caregiver produced her and my brothers ID together with the doctor’s letter stating that he died of natural causes and arranged for a cremation the next day at 8am. On the cremation form, she stated that she was the next of kin.
“We informed Marianhill Funeral Services that she is not the next of kin and no further contact must be made with her. We also put a stop to the immediate cremation that she requested. On examining my brothers body, we found marks on his neck and bruises all over his body. We then proceeded to my brother’s house to check on his wife’s welfare and try to get answers from the caregiver,” Govender said.
She said that when they arrived at the house, the caregiver’s family and neighbours were hostile towards them.
“The caregiver told us that my brother was an early riser and since he was not up when she awoke, she went into their room to check on him. He did not answer her and then realised he was not breathing. She awoke her other family members who confirmed her discovery. The ambulance arrived and certified him dead. We wanted to remove my sister in-law since her story did not collaborate with what we saw at the mortuary. The caregiver, her family and neighbours did not allow us to do so. The caregiver was bold and made a statement saying, ‘dead men tell no tales’.
“We then proceeded to the police to which we reported what transpired. The Colonel phoned the doctor who verified that he issued the letter without checking the body. He was then asked to physically check the body and upon doing so changed the cause of death to unnatural. When the investigating officer questioned her on the events of the day she gave a different account stating that he was sick and refused to go to the doctor and was found dead the next morning on the couch. The body of my brother was sent for autopsy which confirmed the cause of death was strangulation.
“The caregiver did not want to release my brothers ID and clothes which we needed to bury him. We only gained these items after police intervened and escorted us to acquire it from her. At the time of my brother’s death various electronic items, jewellery and important documentation mysteriously disappeared. When we enquired about it from the caregiver, she boldly claimed she had no knowledge of it. The caregiver produced a letter stating that she inherits everything my brother and sister-in-law owned after his death although they are married in community of property. All we seek is justice for my brother. His life was ended in a horrific manner by people with no morals, values and respect for human life. My sister in-law has been robbed of her husband. Their dream of living in a home that they owned has been shattered. My brother showed mercy and compassion on the caregiver and her family but they had evil ulterior motives,” distraught Govender added.
When asked how this incident has affected the family, Govender said: “The death of our precious brother Stephen has left a void in our lives. Like any family we had our differences but we loved and cared for each other. Losing my brother so soon after losing our mum to cancer has had a heavy impact on us. The heartache we feel for knowing that he died in such a cruel way in the hands of those who he felt compassion for is like a dagger to the heart. Since his death, our own health has been affected as well as our mental state. Knowing that someone whom we loved dearly had to take his last breath whilst being strangled gives us nightmares.”
From a young age, Chetty had a love for animals. At the time of his death, he had three dogs, birds, and chickens. His pets were like his children, and he took the best care of them. He loved his dogs so much that he even invested in pet insurance. He was skilled at making tasty mango pickle, which he often gave to his family. He also had a love for music, especially reggae, which he and his wife enjoyed listening to while relaxing at home.
“Stephen came from humble upbringing. He had a love for people and had a soft heart. He always helped others because he had first hand experience of a hard life. He loved children as he felt the emptiness of not being able to have their own. He loved his wife dearly, even walking her to work in the early hours of the morning. On her days off from work they would take the taxi into town to spend time at the beach. Even when she got sick, he took care of her himself until it became too much for him to handle as it impacted on his health.
He got a caregiver to help him and unknowing to him she had ulterior motives. His kind nature made him an easy target for heartless people who took advantage of him. His smile reflected his good spirit and love for people. We will always remember Stephen for his warm smile and joyous nature. Our family will not rest until justice is served. We urge the community to verify people’s qualifications and do a thorough check-up before employing people who we bring into our homes and lives. These people are aware of our daily movements and take note of what we have informing others and plot to rob or even kill us,” Govender concluded.
The funeral of Chetty was held on 1 May. He is survived by his wife, Rhumba Chetty, two brothers, and three sisters.
SAPS was contacted for a comment on the matter, unfortunately a response was unattained at the time of print.
