Ferrel Govender (grey suit) is accused of killing Shailen Singh.
Image: Nomonde Zondi
The Durban Magistrates’ Court heard that Shailen Singh, who was murdered on December 29, 2024, received two calls from Ferrel Govender shortly before his death. The first call, lasting seven seconds, occurred at 11:16 am, while the second, lasting five minutes, followed at 11:17 am.
Singh, 32, a logistics business owner, was fatally shot approximately an hour later in a parking lot on Meridian Drive, uMhlanga. He died at the scene. These details emerged during a bail application currently being heard in the Durban Magistrates’ Court.
Brothers Ferrel and Darren Govender stand accused of Singh’s murder. In court on Wednesday, the State alleged that Singh was killed due to an alleged affair with Ferrel Govender’s girlfriend.
According to a sworn affidavit by Warrant Officer Kumarasan “Bob” Pillay from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit, records place Ferrel Govender near the Sharks Board in uMhlanga at the time of the calls.
Pillay testified that video footage shows Singh arriving at the Meridian Drive parking lot at 11:50 a.m. A black BMW, allegedly driven by Ferrel, arrived at 11:55 am, followed two minutes later by a black Ford Ranger driven by Darren.
An eyewitness stated that a white Toyota Hilux was parked in reverse, with a black Ford Ranger in the adjacent bay and a black BMW X5 parked nearby but not in a designated bay.
The witness reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a light-skinned Indian man standing near the passenger side of Singh’s vehicle, followed by two more gunshots. A second witness confirmed seeing a light-skinned bald Indian man approaching Singh’s vehicle before the shots were fired, identifying the man as Ferrel Govender.
Both vehicles were observed leaving the parking lot at 12:06 pm, Pillay noted that the BMW X5 was owned by Dean Marais of Steals and Deals and was leased to Pro-Secure.
Pillay said a statement was taken from Singh's wife who claimed Ferrel had accused her husband Shailen of having an affair with his girlfriend.
According to the statement, Ferrel made several threatening calls to Singh, vowing to harm him and members of his family. Singh’s father corroborated these claims, citing threats made by Ferrel against his son.
Investigations also uncovered an incident on November 13, 2024, when Ferrel allegedly threatened to execute both Singh and his girlfriend.
Additionally, evidence was presented of Ferrel allegedly assaulting his girlfriend on multiple occasions, with the most recent incident occurring in November 2024.
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