Hanekom family speaks of devastation at father’s death
The daughter of Andre Hanekom has described her late father as an upstanding man who had been falsely accused by authorities in Mozambique.
Hanekom died in hospital after he was detained on several charges, including murder, crimes against the state and inciting civil disobedience.
The South African businessman, who ran a maritime business in Palma, was arrested in August alongside two locals and two Tanzanians, with prosecutors accusing them of being part of a jihadist group.
The 61-year-old was admitted to a hospital on Saturday after having convulsions and bleeding under the skin.
Amanda Hanekom said the family is devastated by her father’s death.
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"It's really hard for us. My dad, he was such a good person. He was never interested in politics or anything, he didn’t even gossip. He always had these good moral values and standards, this is just totally unfair," an emotional Amanda told Jacaranda FM News.
Amanda said there was no basis for the accusations levelled against her father.
"For us it was a big hock because everyone that lives in Mozambique there where we live, everyone knows us, I mean we grew up there. My parents have always been trying to help the people, the community, there's a lot of charity work that we've done over the years.”
Amanda added that her father had always been a law-abiding citizen.
"When we heard these allegations we were like 'how are these rumours that started spreading, this is a joke. How can people just spread rumours like this for their own gain?' The whole thing was just a mess."
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