Supporters claim murder accused Govender brothers are innocent
|Published
Supporters of two brothers accused of killing Durban businessman, Shailen Singh, held up placards outside the Durban Magistrates court on Monday, claiming that they are innocent.
Singh was gunned down in Umhlanga on December 29, 2024, while in the driver's seat of his car. Ferrel and Darren Govender, who are charged with Singh’s murder, appeared at the court on Monday morning for bail application.
Their supporters, who came in more than four buses, carried placards with the following messages: ‘The Govenders’ are innocent, not guilty’; ‘The truth will set them free’ and ‘Innocent justice will reveal the truth’.
They also put up a tent outside the Magistrates Court, which had the logo of the brother’s security company, Pro-Secure. The supporters wore T-shirts with pictures of Ferrel and Darren on them that read: "The Govenders’ are innocent“.
The passages leading to the courtroom where the matter was to be heard were packed with supporters.
During the court proceedings, police had to open the door where court staff enter so that the supporters could get a glimpse of what was happening in court.
Supporters of murdered businessman Singh wore white T-shirts with his picture and they carried placards which called for bail to be denied.
The State’s senior public prosecutor Nkululeko Msiya asked the court to postpone the bail application to Tuesday as they are waiting for the provincial Director of Public Prosecutions to confirm if the bail conditions will be subject to schedule five or six of the Criminal Procedure Act.
However, senior defence attorney Ravindra Maniklall representing Ferrel Govender, opposed the State application and said his instructions were for the bail application to continue.
“Whether the bail application is a schedule six or five it would not make a difference,” he said.
Maniklall said they had prepared for a schedule six application and requested that the prosecution share the affidavit of the investigating officer. He said this would save the court’s time as they would be able to respond to it if there was a need.
Advocate Christo Van Schalkwyk SC, representing Darren Govender, said they do not want a situation where the DPP finds that the bail application is under schedule five and prolonged the process.
Magistrate K. Broughton said it was necessary to hear what the DPP was going to say and agreed to the State’s application to postpone the matter.
Furthermore, Msiya said they would not be able to share the affidavit of the investigating officer as the Defence is the one applying for bail.
In the midst of that, the defence asked the court to make an order for the Govender brothers to spend the night at the Durban Central police station holding cells to have easy access to them for consultations.
Msiya said the state was of the view that the brothers should be kept at Westville Prison for safety, rather than in a cell at the Durban Central station.
“I don’t know how the court would make that order without an indication that there is a problem,” said Msiya.
Magistrate Broughton said it would make sense for the accused to be detained at Durban Central and said he was not going to make a ruling on how affidavits are exchanged.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za