Almost a year after a Gauteng woman was shot and killed during a night out with her friend, her father has spoken out about the “unbearable” grief and pain their family continued to suffer.
Michaela Moonsamy Yellapen, 28, of Benoni, was shot and killed after two men allegedly opened fire on her, her husband, Cameron Yellapan, brother Jeremy Moonsamy, and two of their friends outside a restaurant in Boksburg in May last year.
Michaela, a financial accountant at a law firm, was shot once in the head and took her last breath in her brother’s arms.
Last Thursday, the matter, which is currently in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court, was moved to the regional court division ahead of a pre-trial conference.
Speaking to the POST this week, Michaela’s father, Pastor Jason Moonsamy, said their family felt that the “wheels of justice” were finally turning.
“There has been major progress in the case, and we are hoping for swift justice.”
Jason said the past few months had been difficult for his family.
“We still cannot come to terms with Michaela not being around anymore. It is impossible for us to accept her death. We go to bed and wake up hoping she will walk through the door. When we spend time with family or friends out of our home, there is some laughter or smiles, but when we get home, it is back to the reality that she is no longer around.
“Michaela was my everything, my heartbeat and the apple of my eye. She was always proudly ‘daddy’s girl’. Before her death, I had suffered a few heart attacks, and she would say, ‘daddy please don’t die. You can’t leave me. If you go, I have to go with you’. Today, I am forced to live without her. It is not fair that because of other’s actions, our family, who have never ever experienced such pain, have to bear this unbearable grief for the rest of our lives,” he said.
Jason added that he did not harbour any hate against her alleged killer.
“On the day of her funeral, while I was walking onto the platform to give a tribute, I just felt a great sense of love come over me. While the pain and hurt was very deep, I stood there and thought of my child’s killer. I thought, ‘I still love you and forgive you’. That feeling has not changed till today. But I pray and hope that one day that the person realises what they have done and decides to change their life for the better.”
Jason said that they still yearned for justice.
“While we forgive them, we also want accountability. These kinds of actions, especially the taking of a life, cannot be condoned. We don’t want a repeat where another father and mother, or a family is left broken. The court needs to send out a clear message that such behaviour will not be accepted in society.”
Jason said he and his family were thankful for the support they have received from people in the country and globally.
“Since the news of her death, we have received hundreds of encouraging messages. We are grateful for these kind words, together with the support of the people who are standing with us, as it has given us the strength to continue with our fight for justice for our dear Michaela.”
At the time of the incident, Jeremy recounted the events of that tragic evening.
He said his sister had gone out to dinner with a friend and he was having a “guys night out” with her husband, and a few friends at the same restaurant.
He said when Michaela was done with her dinner she joined them at their table.
“One of my friends had mistakenly bumped the shoulder of another guy at the restaurant. He was with a group of men that were intoxicated. They started an argument with us. On seeing this, the bouncers told all of us to call it a night and escorted us out of the restaurant,” he alleged.
Jeremy said they were walking to their cars when one of the men from the group allegedly went to his vehicle and fetched his gun.
“He fired a shot into the air and we were all stunned. He then fired the second shot, which hit my friend in the face. At this point, we were all running for cover. My sister and I tried to duck behind some cars. The man fired the third shot, which hit my sister.”
He said the man’s friend, who was allegedly also armed, fired another two shots at them.
“This time, another friend of mine was shot on his leg. When the shooting stopped, Cameron went to look for the shooters. When I looked at my sister, she took two steps back and said ‘Jeremy, I have been shot’. She then fell in my arms…”
Subsequently, one of the men was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.