The slain police officer’s father, Officer Ashwin Pedro, said this holiday season was different because the family was still coming to terms with Ashwin’s death.
- For some families in the Western Cape, the festive season is a very bleak one after they lost loved ones to crime this year.
- The family of police officer Ashwin Pedro, who was shot dead earlier this month, says they won’t be celebrating Christmas.
- For Zandile Maweza, this will be her first Christmas without her partner, electronic host Abongile Mafalala.
“This is a different kind of festive period, a very sad one indeed.”
These are the emotional views of some of the families who have lost loved ones in crime related incidents in the Western Cape this year. Many of the victims’ families told News24 they would not celebrate Christmas because it “just doesn’t feel right” without their loved ones.
Police officer Ashwin Pedro, 26, was shot and killed in the line of duty earlier this month when he and his colleague responded to a call from a suspected gangster who had been pointing a gun at residents in streets.
Her father, Melvin, said this festive season was different because the family was still accepting that Ashwin was no longer singing in the house.
READ | ‘Nothing will ever be the same for us again’: Father of slain Cape Town policeman remembers his hero son
“It’s not supposed to be this way. My son should have been here celebrating with us. Instead, a gangster saw fit to end his life while he was serving his community. This is a very sad time for us. We will win.” We won’t be doing the usual big Christmas brunches, and we haven’t even put up our tree because we don’t have the energy to celebrate. Yes, we’ll go to church, but then we’ll come home and be with my kids and my wife,” Melvin told News24.
Sheriff Ashwin Peter
The Pedro family said Ashwin’s death was a double whammy, as he would have celebrated his 27th birthday on New Year’s Day.
“It just doesn’t feel right to celebrate anything without Ashwin. I’m struggling to come to terms with my son’s death. Some days are easy, but it will be a long time before we feel good. We look at his photos every day.” day, and we will remember it every day.
An emotional Melvin said:
We will light a candle on his birthday and talk about him and what a great man he was. Oh man, we miss him so much.
For the family of Mossel Bay resident Kirsty James, Christmas will be very “different and difficult”. James was stabbed to death at his workplace in October.
Monré Josias, who dated Kirsty for eight years, said every day was hard.
Kirsty James’s family hopes that Christmas will be very “different and difficult”.
“It’s hard to process that she’s not with us anymore. The more time goes by, the more I miss her here at home with our daughter, Aliyah. We usually never hit the road this time of year because it’s safer and more enjoyable.” . being home together as a family,” added Josias.
He said that he and James had planned to get married next year and it was almost impossible to comprehend that the wedding plans had just come to an abrupt end.
“We knew we would be getting married next year, but the unthinkable happened and Kirsty is no longer with us. We’re good as a family. It’s not a nice feeling to lose someone you’ve known for so long.” but we have no choice but to be strong and do the best we can for our daughter. I just hope that the feeling of missing her will be a little easier one day. I will always love her and she will always be a part of our lives. Josiah added.
For the loved ones of e-hailing driver Abongile Mafalala, the days leading up to Christmas were “very hard” as Abongile was the one who often took them shopping and on road trips during the festive season. Mafalala was killed in a vigilante attack in May after accepting a ride request at Parkwood, Grassy Park.
CLOCK | Man accused of murder of e-hailing driver will spend Christmas in jail after court denies bail
Zandile Maweza says that this is the first time that she will not celebrate the festive season.
Zandile Maweza said that this would be the first time that she would not celebrate the festive season because the “love of my life” would never return.
“This will be my first Christmas without him, and it will be a very sad day for us. We definitely won’t be doing anything special to celebrate the day because we are still trying to accept that Abongile will be gone.” us.
“While we are happy that those who killed him are behind bars for a long time, we still have to live with the painful memory of how he was killed. So this will be a very different Christmas for many of us.” who love and miss him very much,” Maweza said.
Wisdom Anyanwu was assassinated on New Year’s Day 2022.
Thobeka Anyanwu, whose son Wisdom was stabbed to death on New Year’s Day 2022, said the celebrations of the festive season were far from her mind because she was still in mourning.
“We’re not celebrating Christmas. It’s hard to celebrate when my son isn’t here. I still sometimes think he’ll walk through the door with his music blaring on his phone. We miss him so much and the days haven’t passed.” it has become easier, especially with the holidays here. Life is not the same without my precious child,” Anyanwu said.
Langa’s mother said that a few days after Wisdom was killed, the results of her womb were released. She did “exceptionally well,” she added.
“It’s a different holiday season for us as a family. We wish he was here. As a mother, it’s never easier when you lose your son in such a horrendous way, but I have to be strong for my other children.” I know he is watching us and that somehow comforts me,” Anyanwu added.
