37-year-old Leon Munsamy and his two daughters, Emilia and Elana, were found dead in their Tongaat home.
Image: SUPPLIED
Tuesday’s tragedy in Tongaat, where a father allegedly took the lives of his two young daughters before ending his own, continues to send shockwaves through the community and has raised renewed calls for open conversations around men’s mental health issues.
It has been reported that the father, Leon Munsamy, allegedly poisoned his daughters, Emilia and Elana, aged four and six, before taking his own life.
The Daily News visited the home on Shastri Circle in Flamingo Heights on Wednesday and found security officer Riaan Potgieter from a local private security company on duty. Potgieter said he made the grim discovery the day before. At around mid-afternoon, he was stationed at a nearby park when he received a report and rushed to the scene.
“When we arrived, we opened the driveway gate and walked towards the house, but the security gate was locked. We looked through the window and saw the man unresponsive inside the lounge. We then forced the gate open,” he said.
A property in Tongaat that was rented by a man who allegedly killed his two daughters and hanged himself.
Image: TUMI PAKKIES/Independent Newspapers
He said they then found the two children’s lifeless bodies on a bed in a neatly kept bedroom upstairs.
“The girls were showing no signs of life. We tried waking them up, but they did not respond. I checked their pulses and confirmed that they were deceased,” he said.
The area remained quiet, with neighbours still in shock and reluctant to comment about Munsamy and his family.
One neighbour, who spoke to the Daily News on condition of anonymity, said she did not have personal interactions with the family, but at times would hear the children playing.
Prem Balram, head of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), said Munsamy’s body was found hanging inside the home by emergency services officers who arrived at the scene.
A property in Tongaat that was rented by a man who allegedly killed his two daughters and hanged himself.
Image: TUMI PAKKIES/Independent Newspapers
Registered counsellor Cornelis Johannes said deeply rooted societal beliefs around masculinity often pressure men to suppress their emotions, which can lead to devastating consequences. Johannes linked the broader issue of men’s mental health to high levels of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa.
“The increase in GBV is strongly related to the decline in men’s mental health, exacerbated by unemployment, job scarcity and the rising cost of living,” he said.
He said many men are conditioned to suppress their emotions, leading to feelings of isolation and, in some cases, risky behaviour such as substance abuse and violence.
“Men often face the expectation to remain strong and silent in the face of extraordinarily difficult challenges, which contributes to alarming statistics,” Johannes said.
Anolene Pillay, a mental health professional, expressed her condolences to the family and urged greater awareness of early warning signs of emotional distress.
“Early warning signs can appear subtly. They may include withdrawing from relationships, sudden changes in mood or behaviour, or expressing feelings of hopelessness,” she said.
Pillay emphasised the importance of community support and non-judgmental listening.
“Creating spaces where individuals feel seen, heard and safe is crucial. By prioritising early support over reaction, we can provide timely guidance and strengthen systems to help prevent such tragedies,” she said.
Don Perumall of the Tongaat Ratepayers Association said the community was in shock.
“The man had just moved into our area. He appeared to be decent. We believe the incident may have been linked to a divorce. As a community, we are heartbroken, especially about the deaths of the children,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said police in Tongaat are investigating two counts of murder and an inquest after two girls, aged four and six, were allegedly found dead, while their father was found hanging inside their home.
DAILY NEWS