Tow truck boss gunned down "I love you all" dying man told his son

Pictures and story by Zainul Aberdeen

"My dad fainted" is what slain Durban tow truck owner, Desmond Govender's son Kyrin (8) told teachers at Nagari Pracharni Primary School, moments after his father was shot dead in his presence by an alleged unknown hit-man, outside the school entrance in Muscari Road on Friday afternoon, 3 February 2012.

Govender (43) of Dahlia Road in Springtown and owner of Roadstar Towing and Recovery as well as Roadstar Buses, had fetched his son from school and was walking towards his vehicle when a man allegedly stepped out from behind some trees and shot him three times at close range. The suspect then allegedly walked up to Govender and shot him two more times, to make sure he was dead. It is alleged that the suspect had the firearm concealed inside a box with a make shift silencer to muffell the sound of the gun shots. After Govender was shot, he grabbed his son and still had time to say that he loved them all, before he died. Kyrin was taken away from his father by a teacher who he told that his dad had fainted, unaware that his father had been shot. At first, residents living close-by thought it had been a pension pay-out robbery. Many pensioners were still receiving their pension at the NPS Temple. When staff of the pension pay-out and teachers checked, they saw Govender lying on his back, along the temple driveway.

Residents of Springtown, now fear a reprisal attack but Desmond`s brother Delon said that they are distancing themselves from any rumours of a revenge attack. "We are leaving this to the police and God to find the killer. My brother worked hard and left a lasting legacy. We are still trying to get over the whole incident. We are distancing ourselves from any rumours or finger-pointing that is currently circulating in the community. They are untrue," said Delon.

Govender was cremated at the Clare Estate Crematorium on Sunday. It was the third attempt on Govender's life in the past year, which the Weekly Gazette featured. Close friends of Govender told the Weekly Gazette that death threats on his life continued on an ongoing basis, which police allegedly failed to act on.

On the day, Govender had addressed his tow truck drivers in the morning and was the usual smiling boss. Tow truck drivers said that they did not see anything amiss with their boss's actions but, did feel that the meeting was strange and called spontanously. Now more than a dozen tow truck drivers fear they could be out of a job or could be next in the line of fire. Govender's wife, Vasie said her son was still undergoing councelling and believes the murder may have been an act of jealously. "We will keep the business running to fulfill my husband's legacy. The staff also have families to support and food to put on the table," she added.

Delon told the Weekly Gazette that his brother had planned to take the entire staff and family on a boat trip on his birthday on Sunday, 26 February 2012. Sydenham police detectives are calling on the public to come forward with information that
could help in the investigation. Contact Warrant Officer Krishna 'Monty' Naicker on 083 225 8202.