Four years on: families remember loved ones killed

FOLLOWING the tragic events of the July 2021 unrest, families who continue to grapple with the loss of their loved ones, share their stories of grief and remembrance.

- NADIA KHAN

Tashleen Moodley's son Faybian, 17, was shot and killed during the unrest.

She said not a day had gone by that she and his two younger sisters did not miss him.

Faybian of Trenance Park, Verulam, was shot and killed while standing guard at the entrance to the area on July 13.

It is alleged that a group of men were trying to sneak through a sports ground to get into the area.

When the patrollers saw them, they approached. However, as the group fled, they allegedly opened fire. Faybian was shot under his arm and died at the scene.

"I cry every day for my child. Life is not the same anymore. We have a part of us missing, and we keep wondering what life would have been if he was here," she said.

Moodley said Faybian would have celebrated his 21st birthday on November 21 last year.

"I still celebrate his birthday every year. I have a wall in my home that is dedicated to him. There is not a day that goes by that I don't need my son. While it has been hard for me over the years, his sisters, especially my 7-year-old daughter, misses him terribly. She has a table next to the wall, where she sits and draws pictures for him.

"She was also recently crowned queen at her debs ball. As soon as we arrived home, she went straight to the memory wall and put it on the table. Her crown and flowers are on the table. She also leaves sweets for him and speaks to him. She was Faybian's princess," said Moodley.

She said Faybian, who was in Grade 11 at the time, had dreams which she was now fulfilling.