20/10/2020
Thank you Roslyn Baatjies-Klaasen for the beautiful article in today's Herald.
It was not even 10 minutes from when Darren Jonas, 22, left his home in Fernwood Park that his father, Donovan, received a call that he had been involved in an accident with his Toyota Tazz.
But when Donovan reached the scene on Lawrence Erasmus Drive in Bloemendal shortly after on June 13, it was too late. His eldest son was dead, having allegedly been assaulted and stabbed after the fender-bender.
After the suspect appeared in court on October 7, Darrenβs childhood friend Ashwin Christian started a page called Justice for Darren Jonas.
βIt is not as if his case is the only one, but we have to start somewhere.
βThe page was initially started to provide updates about the case and for support for his family,β Christian said.
βPerhaps this page and the outcry of other community members who are in the same situation can motivate the pursuance of those other cases.
βThe main focus is to be a voice for his life.
βThe page was not started to fight those who are responsible for his death.
βThere are many campaigns that start like this and it ends without something positive happening.
βI believe this campaign will not end without a positive outcome.β
Christian said the page resulted in an outpouring of support and more than 900 people had already shared it.
Darrenβs mother, Leizl, said they are grateful for the initiative Christian had taken to start the page.
βThere are no words to explain how we feel.
βIt just shows that he was a true friend to Darren.
βIt is more than special to us.β
She added she was devastated when she heard that her son, a well-liked, respectful young man, had been murdered.
βWe had two sons and now only have Riley, who is nine years old and the sunshine in our lives,β she said through her tears.
Darrenβs death also touched teachers at his former school, Westville Secondary
The Herald saw a condolence letter written by his former teacher Claudia Julius.
She described him as a gentle giant who was helpful, especially financially, when his peers could not attend school because their parents could not afford it.
βThough our education system is academic driven, his practical skills and mechanical prowess stood him in good stead because he would never stand back and allow people to struggle if he knew how to assist them in these tasks,β she wrote.
The Jonases said they had many dreams for their son who had a big interest in and passion for motor vehicles.
Donovan said on the day they returned from the mortuary, a company had called on Darrenβs phone to tell him that his application for a job in East London was successful.
βThat was not the only one. Messages often come through on his cellphone asking if he is still available for a job.
βI then have to tell the recruitment companies that Darren is no more,β Donovan said.
The family put a cross at the scene where Darrenβs body was found and regularly place flowers there.
βWe do not do it because we want pity, but for us it helps to get us through the difficult days.
The cross is where my child was murderedβ and nobody came to help him.
βI will put flowers there for as long as I feel it is necessary.
βI think it will bring some form of closure,β Leizl said.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed that a case of murder had been opened following the car accident.
It was not even 10 minutes from when Darren Jonas, 22, left his home in Fernwood Park that his father, Donovan, received a call that he had been involved in an accident with his Toyota Tazz.