DURBAN - THE family of Jeetendra Jaikissoon, who died in hospital after spending 90 days behind bars following his arrest over one of the Phoenix murders during the July unrest, is awaiting results from his post-mortem expected to be concluded on Monday.
Jaikissoon, 39, was rushed from the Department of Correctional Services Westville to King Edward VIII Hospital on Friday morning where he later died. The family have hired a private pathologist to oversee the post-mortem.
Jaikissoon and brothers Ned and Dylan Govender were awaiting trial at Westville in connection with the death of Mondli Majola during the July unrest. They were applying for bail. The trio all face charges of murder and attempted murder.
Jaikissoon, of Palmview in Phoenix, was among 31 people arrested and awaiting trial in connection with the violence. After his court appearance in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday he took ill. His wife Rashnee said they had given him antibiotics in the prison hospital. Jaikissoon had been on chronic medication for diabetes and hypertension prior to his arrest. She said he had not received this medication.
Pastor Mervyn Reddy, a neighbour, said inmates told them they had banged on the cell door and prison wall to try to alert wardens on Friday at 3am. Reddy claimed the cries for help were ignored. He said a warden had apparently come to the cell before 6am to take six men to court. It is alleged wardens declined to help. After 8am he was rushed to hospital.
Rashnee said she could not give him a hug on visits and they only placed their palms on either side of the window separating them. Rashnee said during the visitation time between Monday and Friday she was not allowed to give him food. Only clothing and money deposited into his account were allowed.
Reddy felt Jaikissoon was deprived of his basic rights of receiving medical treatment. He claimed the incarceration, the back and forth court appearances and not eating a proper meal took their toll on Jaikissoon’s health. He said Jaikissoon was a quiet, timid person.
“His death has led to a new united community. The families of those incarcerated are also fearful of their loved ones’ health behind bars. If wardens had acted timeously his life could have been saved. They are kept in isolation and labelled the ‘Phoenix killers’. They were never proven guilty in court. His death is because of a captured justice system. This system denied him bail,” Reddy said.
During court proceedings, after viewing CCTV footage of the Majola incident, his lawyer Chris Gounden argued that Jaikissoon had not harmed Majola. However, the State said Jaikisssoon acted in common purpose with other accused.
The allegations were put to Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo who said a detailed investigation would be launched and would be assisted by an autopsy report in determining the cause of death.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said Phoenix and its surroundings became the epicentre of heinous crimes. Cele said that on July 12 community members in Phoenix set up blockades and patrolled the neighbourhood streets after the start of mass looting and unrest in Durban and Gauteng.
“The problem started when some people operating the checkpoints turned to vigilantism and started racially profiling people, preventing them entry into the suburb. This amounted to unlawful discrimination and a restriction of movement for mainly African people.”
Cele said 36 people died in Phoenix. The death toll stood at 251 people in KZN. In Gauteng, 42 murders were being investigated.
Daily News