Daylon Galant: Kraaifontein rugby player gunned down in Scottsville—mother says she saw his last breath
Just a week ago, 25-year-old Kraaifontein rugby player Daylon Galant was still joking with his mother about the future. The humour was the kind that showed how close they were—how normal life seemed—until a night of gunfire shattered everything.
On Tuesday night, Janine Scholtz watched her son breathe out his final breath after he was shot in the head in Scottsville.
Grieving and still struggling to take in what happened, Scholtz told the Daily Voice on Wednesday that her family is stukkend and trying to come to terms with his brutal death.
Galant, who lived with his father in Scottsville, was reportedly on his way to his girlfriend after rugby practice when he was attacked.
Scholtz said the call came at about 9.30pm, and what followed was horror.
She said: “That was around 9.30pm when they phoned me. I am told that there was a black car waiting for him in Petunia Street. They just started shooting.
“When his grandmother and I got to the scene, he was bleeding a lot. When I saw that he was shot in the head, I knew my child would not make it.
“We saw him breathe out his last breath. It was almost like he was just waiting for me and his grandmother,” she said through tears.
Her account paints a scene of sudden violence and fear, with Scholtz describing how the moment she realised her son had been hit, it was already too late.
She explained that the motive behind the shooting remains unknown.
“We still don’t know who shot him and why. They were probably jealous of him,” Scholtz said.
According to her, she cannot stop replaying the contrast between last week’s laughter and this week’s grief. She described Galant as a lively young man who loved making jokes and bringing light into the room.
“Just last week he jokingly asked if I am ready to become a grandmother. That is just the type of boy he was. I still need to speak to his girlfriend to confirm if he was indeed joking. She is also devastated and could not even come to the scene.
“If it is true, that means he will now never get to see his child.”
That final line underlines the cruelty of the situation. In a moment, a young life was cut short—along with the future his family believed they still had time to share.
Galant played for Hands and Heart RFC, and the club has paid tribute to him after his killing.
“He was a talented young player who had the crowd on their feet the moment he had the ball in hand,” the club said.
For rugby supporters, and for anyone who saw his energy on the field, those words carry weight. They suggest a player who wasn’t just part of a team, but someone who could get people watching—and keep them watching.
Another shooting in Kraaifontein days before
The death of Galant comes at a time when residents are already on edge after further violence targeting young men linked to sport.
His killing comes just a day after another young Kraaifontein rugby player was gunned down in a double murder.
Eltino “Malkak” Fortuin, 27, of Morningstar Rugby Club, was one of two men killed in separate shootings at Gabrielle Court in Scottsdene on Monday.
Police said the first victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. About 30 minutes later, a 20-year-old man was also shot dead in the same block. Both were declared dead at the scene.
With two rugby-related deaths so close together, the killings have renewed concerns over violence in Kraaifontein.
Police investigation underway
Provincial police spokesperson Thembakazi Mpendukana confirmed that detectives are investigating Galant’s murder following the shooting in Greymaur Street, Scottsville, at about 8.50pm on Tuesday.
She said: “A 25-year-old male victim endured gunshot wounds in his head and he was declared deceased on the crime scene by medical personnel. Investigation is ongoing, the motive is still unknown, and no arrest has been made yet,” she said.
As investigators work to piece together what led to the attack, the family is left with the pain of a sudden goodbye—one that came without answers, and without time to prepare for a life-ending moment.
For Scholtz, the grief is personal and immediate. She described how the last minutes unfolded in front of her, and how the memory of hearing her son’s final breath will never leave her.
In Kraaifontein, where sport often brings young people together and keeps dreams alive, the deaths of Galant and Fortuin have left a heavy question hanging over the community: why are young lives being taken so brutally, and how long will it continue?
