A routine day of grocery shopping turned into a life-altering tragedy for a Durban woman, who is now left mourning the loss of her husband following a senseless act of road rage at Cornubia Mall.
Stha Madweba-Vezi, 31, a mother of two, lost her husband in a hit-and-run incident that unfolded in the mall’s parking lot. The tragic event occurred as the family was searching for a parking space when her husband got involved in a confrontation with an enraged driver who was driving in the wrong lane.
Stha shared the devastating details of that day with Drum, recalling how her husband had stepped out of the car to ask the driver to move and sought help from a security guard. “My husband got out of the car to approach this guy to tell him to move out of the way, and also asked the security guard to please help,” she explained. The driver refused to comply, and her husband decided to leave the situation temporarily to go into the mall.
While waiting in the car, Stha noticed the enraged driver return and approach their vehicle. “He drove in front of the driver’s seat, and he pulled out something with his hand, I don’t know what he was using, but he banged the car, he dented the car, and damaged our side mirror,” Stha recalled. She stepped out of the car and confronted the man, only for him to snatch the keys from her and drive away.
Her husband, witnessing the act, ran after the driver. According to witnesses, the driver then ran over her husband at a roundabout near the exit. “The baby was crying in the car, and I had to attend to her. I heard people screaming ‘close the boom gate,’ and that’s when security managed to stop the suspect,” Stha shared.
Her husband was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries, fighting for his life for four months. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries on August 9, 2024. The family is still grieving as they struggle to come to terms with the loss.
Stha opened a case at Velarum Police Station, but the investigation has been slow, with little progress. She is frustrated with the lack of a police report, which is needed for insurance claims, and the delayed postmortem report. She also expressed dissatisfaction with the change of investigating officers and feels the case is stagnant. “There’s no police report, no postmortem report, and no progress in the case,” Stha said.
Despite the challenges, Stha remains determined to seek justice for her late husband. “I just want justice for my husband. He didn’t deserve it. He wouldn’t even kill a fly. He had so much potential in life, and he was a loving father and husband,” she says.
As she continues to cope with the trauma of losing her husband, Stha is seeking full footage of the incident to aid the investigation and help her heal. The family, along with the public, is waiting for justice to be served, hoping that the perpetrator will be held accountable for this senseless act of violence.
