Wife distraught after businessman dies in Mozambique

The wife of South African maritime businessman Andre Hanekom is heartbroken after he died in custody in Mozambique.

Hanekom’s wife, Francis, had been campaigning for his release since he was arrested in August‚ on what she said were trumped-up terrorism charges.

Hanekom‚ 61‚ who owned a slipway and maritime logistics company in the country’s gasrich northern region of Cabo Delgado‚ was arrested after gunmen wearing camouflage uniforms and balaclavas tried to drive him off the road.

The men‚ one of whom shot him in the arm and stomach‚ turned out to be policemen.

“Today we have learnt that he will never again have a birthday.

“My heart is broken. My beautiful husband is gone‚” Francis posted on their daughter Amanda’s Facebook wall.

Amanda shared a birthday message for her imprisoned father on January 21 on his 62nd birthday‚ wishing him “freedom‚ health‚ happiness and time with his family again”.

A former ICU nurse in SA‚ Francis said on Wednesday that Hanekom had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Pemba on Saturday.

She alleges he showed signs of poisoning.

“He was recovering but he could not speak.

“Yesterday he was fully conscious,” Francis said.

“He helped them [the staff] move him in his bed and at 4.30 he was dead.”

Their daughter wrote on Facebook: “My dad died early this morning in mysterious circumstances in the hospital in Pemba. His court case was going to be next week and he would have won‚ we have mountains of proof of his innocence.”

Francis said friends had informed her about her husband’s sudden death – not the police or the hospital.

“They phoned me at 9am‚” she said.

She had scheduled a 10am appointment with the doctor.

Francis said what had happened to them was surreal.

“It’s like you’re going to town‚ the next moment someone grabs you and the next thing you hear you’re financing terrorism,” she said.

“That is what happened to us. We are normal people.”

On Sunday‚ international relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu said SA’s ambassador in Mozambique had “managed to locate Mr Hanekom and has communicated both with the family and ourselves where he’s being held”.

The SA government promised to give all the necessary support to Hanekom.

The Sunday Times reported that Hanekom had been briefly admitted to hospital after his arrest.

Police had initially claimed they were holding him for his own safety after rescuing him from kidnappers linked to Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a‚ a group that allegedly wants Cabo Delgado as a separatist state.

However‚ in October he appeared in court‚ with the authorities claiming that Hanekom – fondly known as Baba Mzungu (white father) among locals – was linked to the organisation.

They said they had confiscated weapons and logistical supplies from his home destined for the organisation‚ the newspaper said.

Terrorism‚ Research and Analysis Consortium Africa director Jasmine Opperman tweeted: “And again I say ‘no’‚ he was not involved in financing Shabaab cells.”

Francis said Hanekom did not follow current affairs.

“We have been here for 26 years. Andre could have got himself a Mozambican passport years ago.

“If he was interested in local politics, he would have got a Mozambican passport a long time ago so that he could be active in local politics. He was not interested in it.”

She described him as a “sweet boy”. “He always used to say that he did not even have a speeding ticket against his name in South Africa.”

Francis said they would repatriate her husband’s body to SA for his funeral.

An outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting‚ Hanekom was also characterised by his widow as a straightforward yet fair person.

“He was a very practical person ... In the middle of the bush‚ if anything went wrong he could always make a plan.” –