Family anxious for SAAF trainee’s body

Vaugan Govender died while undergoing basic military training. Picture: Facebook

Vaugan Govender died while undergoing basic military training. Picture: Facebook

Published Feb 4, 2014

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Durban - The family of the Durban man who died while undergoing basic military training in Limpopo are anxiously awaiting the return of his body.

A relative of Vaugan Govender, 20, who would only identify himself as Mr Naidoo, said on Monday the incident had left his Chatsworth family devastated.

He said they did not want to speculate on the cause of Govender’s death but were anxious to know the details.

Govender had left Durban on January 19 to start a six-month basic training exercise with the SA Air Force.

He started his training at the SAAF Gymnasium in Hoedspruit on Monday, January 27, but became ill unexpectedly on Wednesday and was taken to the Hoedspruit Military Health Centre where he was admitted.

He was later transferred to the Tzaneen Mediclinic where he died on Saturday.

Had Govender completed the training he could have become an apprentice air force pilot.

Naidoo said the family had been planning to celebrate his 21st birthday on Monday and had been waiting for him to get a weekend break and return home. “At the moment there is a lot of red tape and military procedure to have the body released. We are trying to have the funeral (on Wednesday),” Naidoo said.

SAAF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Maseko said a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Daily News

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