Late
last year, on 28th July 2018, to be precise, our lives as a family were
permanently and irrevocably changed when ruthless criminals ended the life of
my youngest son, Chad Basson. This was yet once again one of the daily/weekly
incidents of barbaric acts of this mindless thugs, who in their battle for turf
to maximise their criminal activities, fire indiscriminately in our communities
on the Cape Flats. Most of the time it is the young, innocent souls who have to
die as they fire indiscriminately.
My
son, Chad, was brought up to make a change and be the change on this Earth of us
and as parents we are so proud of the child who he was and the incredible young
man he became! He matriculated in 2017 with distinction and had his whole
future ahead of him! I was so glad that he was active in the church and was
someone his peers could look up to.
On
that fateful night, he attended a 21st Birthday party a few streets away, normally
he would not even go that far away from home! After the party, he was chatting
with some girls, when a car pulled up and began to shoot at people standing
around the house where the party took place. Running into this particular house
as the shooting continued started Chad instinctively, began to push people into
this house. When he looked around, he saw that one girl was still standing
alone with him in the yard. He then flung himself onto her, holding her tight
and shielding her from the bullets. He died of multiple gunshots wounds, but
the girl escaped unharmed. People of the house where the shooting took place, and
the people that he saved afterwards were so thankful for Chad selfless deed as he
didn’t know anyone of them personally.
When
we were told ,we rushed to the scene but on arrival he was already deceased! Our
world stood still as we cried uncontrollably. My wife and I lay next to him and
rubbed his still warm hands waiting for the pathologists to arrive! I had to
rush my wife to the hospital as she became in a zombie-like state. His siblings,
three of them had to be comforted by friends and family as we were at the
hospital. Then my daughter (his only sister) had to be booked in at Medical
Centre for a month counselling. Before that we also attended short counselling
sessions with the Department of Social Development.
During
the day and at night, I was faced with having to attend to my sobbing wife or
one of his siblings. We were sometimes living on sleeping pills. As the father,
I had to be strong for them and decided to go to the morgue alone to identify
his lifeless, bloodied body as well as attending to funeral arrangements! We
are a close knit, God Loving and Fearing ,law abiding citizens but had to be
worried as my one son, all good boys who behaved, said if someone must just
give him a gun ,he would go look for them .Although we knew he wasn’t going to
do it, we had to constantly keep an eye on him. On top of it for the last 15
months, we were frustrated as potential witnesses kept on saying that they were too scared to
speak out!
I love
my whole family incredibly (although they say he was the apple of my eye!) and
would take a bullet for them, not knowing that I would be too late to protect my
own son. My family never went to church after my son’s murder and they still
question God, but I am patient with them and go alone as the father. Our battle
for justice is still continue!
Many
Thanks
Mr
C.Basson
22/11/2019
