Khitana Deonarain with her mother, Dr Sharona Deonarain.
Image: Supplied
ALMOST nine months after her daughter was allegedly killed by a drunk driver on Higginson Highway, the wheels of justice are finally turning for Dr Sharona Deonarain.
On Tuesday, Mthokozisi Martin Memela, 45, of Westmead, appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on charges of culpable homicide and contravening the National Road Traffic Act by driving under the influence of liquor or drugs.
According to the charge sheet, it is alleged that Memela unlawfully and negligently caused the death of 21-year-old Khitana Deonarain, while travelling on the Higginson Highway on August 18, last year.
Last week, the investigating officer, Detective Sipho Shezi, served the summons on Memela to appear in court.
The matter was adjourned to June for him to secure private legal representation and for a regional court date.
On that fateful day, Deonarain said her daughter, a law student, had been travelling home in her boyfriend Cameron Naidoo's car after spending the afternoon at his house.
She said the incident happened near the Moorton and Arena Park off–ramp, about 2.5km from their home.
Deonarain said Naidoo called and alerted her and her husband that they had been in an accident. He told them they were uninjured.
However, when she arrived at the scene, she found Khitana lying on the road.
She said following the first accident, while standing outside the vehicle, Khitana was struck by a bakkie and flung across the road.
Deonarain said Khitana died instantly.
Following the incident, she pursued various avenues seeking accountability and justice. This included calling the provincial police and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate.
Mthokozisi Martin Memela
Image: Nadia Khan
Speaking to the POST after Memela's court appearance, Deonarain, a PhD graduate in law specialising in criminal justice, said the past nine months had been difficult.
“Nine months. This is how long it takes to carry a child and bring a life into the world. The same amount of time that once gave us our daughter, has now been spent grieving her and fighting to get here. This contrast lives inside me every single day.
“Khitana would have graduated from university around now. We were supposed to be watching her walk across that stage. Instead, we are walking into a courtroom. We have been robbed of every milestone we were meant to share with our child,” she said.
Deonarain said that while the wheels of justice were turning, this court appearance was not closure.
“It was the formal commencement of proceedings. But for the first time, Memela must stand and answer. This matters deeply to us as a family.”
Deonarain added that seeing Memela made her feel as if she had returned to the night of the incident.
“Seeing him brought everything back, every detail of that horrific night. Khitana was not just our child, she was the heartbeat of our home, and she was taken from us. There are no adequate words for losing a child."
Deonarain hoped her daughter would remain at the centre of the court process.
“Her life, her value and her right to have been here. I also hope that the charge sheet reflects every provable contravention from that night, and that every count speaks to the full gravity of what occurred.
"As a family, we want the full might of the law applied. We believe the evidence supports it, and we will continue to advocate for this without apology.
"Khitana deserved better that night. She deserves justice now and we will not stop until she gets it.”
Deonarain said Mother’s Day would not be the same this year.
“My heart feels as if it has shattered into pieces. It is a day our family always looked forward to, and now it weighs heavily on me. We used to spend it together in simple but meaningful ways. Sometimes we would go out or we would just stay home. But Khitana always made it special. She was thoughtful like this.
Deonarain also expressed her gratitude to those who assisted in her fight for justice.
“There are people in this journey who have shown us what integrity truly looks like, and we want to acknowledge them. Detective Shezi, our investigating officer, is a man of character, humility, and quiet dedication. He worked tirelessly to ensure this matter reached court, and did so with professionalism and genuine respect for our family.
“We thank the senior State prosecutor at the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court for the swift and decisive response. Once this matter reached their desk, it gave us hope at a moment when hope was very hard to find. We are grateful for the seriousness with which Khitana’s case was received.
“The POST which have walked alongside us, you reached out when many would have looked away. You told Khitana’s story with courage and with care. We need more journalists like you, people who are not afraid to hold a mirror up to the truth, especially when that truth is difficult and when the stakes are this high. You have been a voice for our child, and we are deeply grateful,” she said.