By Barry Bateman
The widow of a murdered policeman is fed-up with the SAPS, claiming they have done nothing to help her and her 15-year-old son get back on their feet in the four months after the incident.
Marie de Beer, widow of slain police Inspector Louis de Beer, said she has had no luck following up on the details of the investigation into the murder. To date she has not received her late husband's pension and her medical aid has refused to pay for counselling.
Louis was shot in the head while preparing food for his son Lourens on their Renosterspruit smallholding near Lanseria Airport on September 11.
De Beer and Lourens have stayed at relatives's homes since they left the smallholding. They are now living with a brother-in-law in Pretoria Gardens.
She said in the five months since the murder she has not heard from the police. "When I call to find out if they have caught any of the murderers they tell me that they are busy and don't have the time to help me.
"My son and I needed to go for psychological counselling but the medical aid scheme said we had run out of funds.
"Is this what we get after my husband's 31 years' of service," she asked.
"On the night of the murder (Provincial Commissioner Perumal Naidoo) was at the house and it was 'sorry this' and 'sorry that'. But since then we have heard nothing. At least they could have the decency to call me to tell me what is happening with the investigation," she said.
De Beer said she had not received any money from her late husband's pension fund.
"This is bad for Lourens. He saw his father die in front of him and he needs help, but I cannot afford it.
"Two weeks before his father was murdered his grandfather passed away at our home," she said.
De Beer works and her son attends school in Johannesburg. Every morning they leave Pretoria at 4:50am so that Lourens can get to school and she to work on time.
She said if the pension fund paid out she would get a flat in Johannesburg to make life easier.
Juanita Jansen, of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) CEO's office, said they were awaiting withdrawal documentation from the SAPS. "The GEPF has already been in contact with De Beer informing her of the situation.
"We are in the process of contacting the former employer to request they forward the documentation to the GEPF for urgent processing.
"The normal process of making a claim starts with the employer submitting completed documentation to enable the GEPF to effect payment.
"The police service needs to supply the GEPF with the relevant withdrawal of the fund form and other documentation," she said.
National police spokesperson Director Selby Bokaba said they would investigate why the documentation was not forwarded to the GEPF, adding that it would take more than a day to get that information.
Denzil Paulse, the acting scheme executive of Polmed, said they would look into the matter but needed De Beer's medical aid number.
Police spokesperson Inspector Katlego Mogale said police were looking into the progress of the investigation but could not confirm any details by the time of going to press.