Durban — Chatsworth businessman Brandon “Puff” Kalicharan, wife Jeconiah Naidoo-Kalicharan and their 9-year-old daughter, Jecaida, were buried at the Mobeni Heights Cemetery on Sunday.
They were slain while travelling on Peters Road in Durban last Tuesday. Heavily armed men pulled up alongside the family’s car and sprayed it with bullets on both sides.
Jecaida died in hospital while her parents died at the scene.
Kalicharan is alleged to be a known drug kingpin in Durban.
Mourner Rochelle Chetty said the Kalicharans were a “down-to-earth family”. She said that Jackie was a woman of note, and was hospitable and humble.
Chanice Naidoo described her sister as a loving and generous person. “Jackie cared for others immensely,” she said.
Jackie’s close friend Christel (surname unknown) said she and Jackie shared a very special bond and they had been friends for more than 20 years. She said they went to primary and high school together.
“There were times when I didn’t do my homework, and Jackie would ask me ‘Chris, did you do your homework?’ She did not want me to get into trouble with our teachers and would quickly do my homework for me.”
One of the mourners said that Brandon was a loving husband and caring father to their daughter, and other members of his community.
“He once took in a youngster and treated him like one of his own. He did things for him and even took him to school,” the mourner said.
School principal L Yunis said the learners and teachers at Jecaida’s school were traumatised by her sudden death.
He said Jecaida was a very humble, loving, gentle and “completely innocent child” who was loved by all.
“She did her school work diligently and participated in almost every school activity. I have had to organise counselling for the teachers and learners,” he ended.
Chatsworth Community Policing Forum chairperson Yugan Pillay said that he had no comment, other than “these guys should not be given airtime which only serves to glorify their ill-gotten gains”.
KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the motive of the killing was not yet known.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the man was allegedly involved in drug and gang-related activities in Chatsworth.
He was a person of interest in some cases which were being investigated by the Hawks, Netshiunda said.
Kalicharan lived a fast and flashy life. He owned several high-performance cars worth millions of rand, threw flashy parties and wore only the best clothes.
He was also a notorious underworld figure in Durban who ran the 11th Street Gang – named after the unit in Chatsworth he was from – and built his drug distribution empire by waging a bloody war on the streets of Chatsworth, taking out his rivals in drive-by shootings.
Kalicharan’s social media “popped”. He would often stitch together videos of his flashy lifestyle – the cars, the money and the guns.
During a birthday celebration, he and his wife styled themselves as a modern-day, Bonny and Clyde, in a video, complete with background music and slow-motion effects of them pulling out their guns.
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Daily News