Twenty-five years have passed since five-month-old Cameron Moodley was kidnapped and killed in Phoenix, South Africa. Her mother, Venessa Chetty, still remembers the day her baby was taken. Cameron had been strangled with the vest she was wearing and her body was abandoned in a bush near her home. Chetty's family spent almost a week searching for her, unaware that she had been killed 30 minutes after she was taken or that the perpetrator was someone they trusted.
The perpetrator, Kandasamy Kevin Naidoo, was a 32-year-old man who had been married to Cameron's paternal grandmother at the time. He was arrested for her kidnapping and murder. A confirmed schizophrenic, Naidoo was admitted to Fort Napier Hospital following his court appearances. Cameron would have turned 26 on November 6. Her mother still recalls every detail of the last moment she saw her baby alive, including the temporary dolphin tattoo on Cameron's body that helped identify her after her death.
Chetty remembers the day her baby was murdered in April 2001. Her then mother-in-law's second husband had asked to take Cameron for a walk to his brother's house two roads away. He had done so many times and they trusted him. Chetty was about to take a bath when he left with Cameron. She told him not to take too long and bring her back early. He said okay and Chetty went into the bathroom.
A search effort ensued when Chetty's sister-in-law went to the house and found that Kevin had left with the baby more than 15 minutes earlier. The missing alert was broadcast on various radio and TV stations and in every newspaper. Chetty and her family searched for Cameron, but she was nowhere to be found. People called them at midnight saying they saw baby and Kevin and they would drive to the spot immediately.
Five days later, police arrested Naidoo in Bloemfontein and he led them to the baby's body. Chetty regrets never being able to see her one last time, to kiss her, tell her I love her and say goodbye. The coroner couldn't tell them whether Cameron died instantly, or was still alive and dying when he threw her body away and ran off. Chetty questioned her faith back then, struggling to understand why God had taken her child away.
Chetty's grief has been a long and difficult process. She went through a time of depression, self-harm and stages where she didn't want to live anymore. However, with time, she began to heal and trust in God again. Today, Chetty is the co-owner of Book Bank South Africa, a mother of three daughters and grandmother to a three-year-old. She is engaged and lives in Durban. Her book, Remembering Cameron, is scheduled for release in April 2027.
Before her former mother-in-law passed away, they had made peace. Chetty's marriage eventually ended and she started life as a single mother to her eldest child, who was two at the time of Cameron's death. Chetty still grieves for her daughter on special days, when she hears a song that reminds her of her, or a memory. She believes that grief has no expiry date.
Key points
- Venessa Chetty's daughter Cameron Moodley was kidnapped and killed in Phoenix, South Africa 25 years ago.
- The perpetrator, Kandasamy Kevin Naidoo, was a 32-year-old man who had been married to Cameron's paternal grandmother at the time.
- Chetty's book, Remembering Cameron, is scheduled for release in April 2027.
