Alan Monswamy, his wife Sandy, with their children Kraidon and Shamarie.
Image: Supplied
The Newark home where the Monswamy family were attacked belonged to Mooniamma Padayachee and was a "place of unity" for decades.
On Monday, Padayachee's daughter, Kareen Murugan, said 72 hours after they had gathered at her mother's home for her nephew's proposal on April 18, her family were "killed in cold blood".
The tragedy claimed Murugan's mother, Mooniamma Padayachee, 79; siblings, Sandy Monswamy, 57, and Cliffy Padayachee, 51; niece, Shamarie Monswamy, 20; nephew, Kraidon Monswamy, 27; aunt, Mariamma Appanah, 83; and brother-in-law, Alan Monswamy, 55 (Sandy's husband).
”That home belonged to our mother, and had long been a place of unity. We all lived in that house together. I stayed there until I got married and moved to Richards Bay. It was our family home.”
She said her heart was filled with joy after Kraidon's proposal last Saturday.
But last Wednesday, Kraidon's body and those of his six family members were found in a secluded area in Melmoth, hours after they were kidnapped from their home.
"We were all together for Kraidon’s proposal to Melissa. Everyone was so excited. The function was lovely, and the two families met. I remember talking throughout the night with everyone. We even discussed the proposal the next day. We were happy, especially after losing Sandy and Alan's daughter Ricquelle in a car accident in November 2024. To go from that joy to this devastation is unbearable,” said Murugan.
“It has been difficult coming to terms with what happened to my family. My thoughts were in shambles when I heard they were missing. I had hoped they would be found safe,” she said.
"I was then called with the devastating news that they were dead. I was shocked and in denial. How could anyone harm my innocent family?”
Cliffy Padayachee, Mooniamma Padayachee and Mariamma Appanah.
Image: Supplied
She described the funeral as deeply traumatic.
“The funeral was one of the worst days of my life. I was still in shock that I lost most of my family. Seeing seven coffins in a row is a feeling you can never explain. I am heartbroken and feel it is unfair that I was forced into this situation by people who felt it was right to kill my family in cold blood. My mum, brother, sister and aunt were the most helpful people you would meet. They were welcoming and kind. My niece, nephew and brother-in-law were equally warm and giving.”
Pastor Garon Govender, of Ekklesia Christian Fellowship, said the family were longstanding members at the church in Tugela.
"Their children grew up in our youth and children’s ministries, and the adults were active in church life."
He condemned the "heinous crime" and said they would continue to support the family through counselling programmes.
Govender praised the police for apprehending three suspects.
Alan’s brother-in-law, Devan Naidoo, said: “I saw Alan the afternoon before everything happened (April 21). He had just repaired his vehicle after it had been out of use for over a month. He seemed normal. There was nothing to suggest anything was wrong."
By the following morning, however, the family had disappeared.
“It was terrifying. The house was ransacked, and no one was there. They disappeared. We later found out they had been kidnapped."
The family home in Newark.
Image: Monishka Govender
A crucial lead emerged when relatives tracked a cellphone belonging to Kraidon. The device showed suspicious movement and ATM activity in Mandini, prompting the family to alert the police.
Investigators followed the trail, which eventually led them to suspects in Eshowe. Police later said the suspects confessed and directed authorities to the location of the bodies.
Naidoo said information gathered suggested the attackers entered the home while the family were asleep.
“They broke in through the back door. They demanded money. They abducted the entire family using Alan's vehicle, the same one he had just fixed."
He said despite the theft, the jewellery was not taken.