Witness describes brutal assault on Salona Ramrutton/Kisten during Ferrel Govender trial

A State witness told the Durban High Court that murder-accused former security boss Ferrel Govender allegedly assaulted his girlfriend, Salona Ramrutton/Kisten, until she lost consciousness and then fired six shots in her direction, the court heard on Thursday.

What the witness said

The witness, who cannot be named, told the court she had been friends with Ramrutton/Kisten and frequently saw or spoke to her before the alleged assault.

According to IOL, the witness said Ramrutton/Kisten often had visible bruises and would tell her they were from a “misunderstanding” without elaborating. The witness said she later received WhatsApp messages from Govender in which he described Ramrutton/Kisten as his “ride or die” and asked about her whereabouts.

The witness testified that she confronted Govender about allegedly abusing her friend. She said he denied recent physical abuse and told her, “She must behave, and the reason she gets smacked is that she has a big mouth.”

The alleged attack

The witness said she met Ramrutton/Kisten and tried to mediate between the couple. While they were together, Govender phoned and they agreed to meet at his house.

Inside the house, the witness told the court, Govender suddenly became aggressive. She said he punched Ramrutton/Kisten in the face, went upstairs and then returned. The witness described how he grabbed Ramrutton/Kisten by the hair, dragged her across the floor, and repeatedly assaulted her with his fists and feet.

She told the court Govender then went to the kitchen, returned with a round vase which he smashed over Ramrutton/Kisten’s head, and then pulled out a revolver and “fired about six shots in her direction.” The witness gave the single-line quotation,

“I begged him to stop,”

when describing her attempt to halt the attack.

Accusations and aftermath

During the assault, Govender allegedly accused Ramrutton/Kisten of cheating “with the whole of Umhlanga” and specifically with businessman Shailen Singh, the witness said. The State alleges Govender and his younger brother, Darren, lured Singh to a meeting where Singh was fatally shot a week after the alleged assault.

The witness said Ramrutton/Kisten was severely assaulted and pleaded for mercy, repeatedly saying, “I’m sorry,” while covering her head. She said there was a short period when Govender appeared to calm down and asked Ramrutton/Kisten, “Why did you do this to me?” He then allowed the two women to leave for medical treatment, the witness testified.

Witness reaction and trial status

The witness told the court she felt afraid and apologised to Ramrutton/Kisten afterward because she had tried to mediate the reconciliation meeting. She said, according to IOL, “I had never witnessed anything like that before. I felt responsible because I had tried to mediate their relationship.”

The trial continues, and the State has identified Ferrel Govender as the shooter in the murder case involving businessman Shailen Singh, the court heard.

According to IOL, Govender faces charges including murder and attempted murder of his girlfriend, Salona Ramrutton/Kisten.