By Mojalefa Mashego and Gill Gifford
Isaac Mofokeng, a housebreaker who became infamous after shooting Max the gorilla while trying to escape arrest, has died.
Mofokeng, 38, who had been a patient at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital in Pretoria for the past two years, died after swallowing pills he took while nursing staff were tending to other patients.
But his family are suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his death, and want an explanation.
Police had been searching for Mofokeng regarding several house robberies and a rape case when he was finally caught on July 18 1997, pinned down by the 180kg lowland gorilla.
That morning, Mofokeng is alleged to have been accosted by a Saxonwold homeowner who caught him on his property.
Mofokeng pulled out a gun, prompting the man to sound the alarm and call the police.
Parktown officers responded quickly and chased Mofokeng, who headed into the Johannesburg Zoo and jumped over a wall to hide.
But he had unintentionally picked the gorilla enclosure, where he encountered Max - who was angered by the intrusion.
Mofokeng fought back when Max bit him, and shot the raging animal in the chest and neck.
Three police officers barrelled into the enclosure, and all three were injured by Max. During the scuffle, Mofokeng was shot in the groin.
Max eventually calmed down after being shot with a tranquilliser dart. He was then taken to Milpark Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He made a full recovery.
Mofokeng went on trial and was sentenced to 40 years in jail for a number of crimes, including rape. Five years related to his shooting Max.
As he was passing sentence, magistrate TJ Ikaneng described Mofokeng as an "unguided missile" and a "time bomb".
At the time Mofokeng apologised for shooting Max, but not for the rape for which he received 10 years.
Conflicting reports emerged on Thursday of how Mofokeng had died. According to authorities, he committed suicide by swallowing pills he should not have taken. But his family suspect foul play.
The police cannot say yet whether or not it was suicide.
Mofokeng's brother Abram said: "A social worker (whose name is known to The Star) first called my brother's girlfriend, saying my brother had started vomiting after his supper and died.
"But when we went to the hospital (on Wednesday) with my mother and cousin, the story changed.
"We were told by another staffer that as the patients were being given medication after their meal on Saturday afternoon, my brother had grabbed a container full of pills and started swallowing them.
"The staffer said my brother died later after vomiting and collapsing."
Investigating officer Inspector Kalistus Kristof on Thursday confirmed Mofokeng's death, saying he had died between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
"He was found dead on Sunday morning," Kristof said.
He added that hospital staff had reported to him that Mofokeng had taken a container with pills and run out of the building on Saturday afternoon.
"The staff managed to corner him but we are not sure whether or not he took the pills. A doctor checked him after the incident and he was okay.
"We will have to wait for the post mortem results to ascertain the cause of death," said Kristof.
Abram said the family wanted the truth.
"The staffer told us that Isaac had started vomiting and when the doctor arrived he was already dead," he said.
"We don't believe that story. We think there is something they are trying to hide."
- Max died in his sleep at the zoo last year, at the age of 33.