An Uitsig family is furious with Police Minister Bheki Cele who claimed their uncle died from a heart attack and not police brutality.
Petrus Miggels, 55, known as Pietman, collapsed in the front yard of his home in Carnation Avenue on Friday, 27 March, after he was allegedly beaten and tasered by cops, after buying two beers on the first day of the Coronavirus lockdown.
Pietman’s niece, Nora Southgate, says police are trying to cover up the death of her uncle - who never had a heart condition, and whose post-mortem hasn’t been released yet.
Briefing the media last Thursday, Cele reported on the 289 people who have been arrested nationwide to date for violating regulations.
He said Pietman’s post-mortem revealed he died from a heart attack, and not police brutality.
‘LIAR’: Minister Bheki Cele
Nora says: “How can the minister state this, but he hasn’t even spoken to us, the family, yet?
“(Saturday) we were told by the investigating officer the report [post-mortem] has not yet been concluded, so how can Cele say these things?
“When we asked for the cause of death at the mortuary, we were not told it was natural.
“The pathologist asked us if he was beaten and then told us to rather ask the doctor then.”
Nora says Pietman was a healthy person and his only crime was going to buy beer for a neighbour.
GONE: Petrus Miggels, 55
“On the day of his death, he came in here with eyes deep in his head, he told us what happened and then collapsed.
“When we had to identify his body at the mortuary, his eyes were thick; he looked as if a train had hit him.
“Here are people who witnessed how police beat and shocked him.”
Pietman was due to draw his unemployment this week after the factory he had worked for closed down last year.
SCENE: Forensics remove the body of Petrus Miggels at his Uitsig home
“He was the main breadwinner for my aunty and today he had to draw his unemployment, but members of the state took that away from her,” adds Nora.
“We feel justice must be done. We feel the police want to cover this up. The same officers who attacked him are walking past here with sjamboks, why? So they can just do as they please.”