Pietermaritzburg, South Africa – A mother in Copesville is seeking justice for her 20-year-old son, who was tragically killed in an alleged vigilante attack over accusations of stealing a grass cutter. Michele Govender witnessed the brutal assault on her son, Ryan, and later had to watch him succumb to his injuries in a hospital.
Following the incident, four men, aged between 30 and 40, have been arrested in connection with Ryan’s murder. While two of the suspects have been granted bail, the other two remain in custody awaiting their court appearance scheduled for April 19.
According to Govender, the violent assault on her son began on Christmas Eve, where he was taken to multiple locations in Copesville and brutalized for supposedly stealing a grass cutter. Despite the absence of concrete evidence linking Ryan to the theft, the community members took matters into their own hands, leading to his untimely death on December 26.
Describing the harrowing events, Govender recalled how a man arrived at her house, accusing Ryan of the theft without any proof. The man, accompanied by another individual, proceeded to assault Ryan, eventually forcing him into a vehicle where the beatings continued.
The distraught mother shared how she intervened, attempting to stop the assailants from further harming her son. She witnessed the perpetrators dragging Ryan out of the car, relentlessly hitting him with various weapons until he was left in excruciating pain. Despite rushing him to the hospital on Christmas Day, Ryan’s condition worsened, ultimately leading to his passing on December 26.
Devastated by the loss of her child in such a brutal manner, Govender is now seeking justice and closure for her son’s senseless death in the community’s misguided act of vigilantism.