'Chauke poisoned'

2003-11-23 11:21

Elias Maluleke

Johannesburg - The grieving family of cash-in-transit robbery kingpin Collen Chauke believes friends who want to get their hands on the millions he made from crime poisoned him.

The convicted armed robber, who became a cult figure after his daring escape from the high-security Pretoria central prison in December 1997, died at Kalafong hospital in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, after a short illness.

Chauke died a lonely man, chained to a bed and surrounded by three prison warders.

Officials of the department of correctional services and Kalafong hospital said Chauke's death was due to "natural causes".

A correctional services spokesperson in Gauteng, Isaac Mosiane, said it was unlikely that food and drink from the outside could have found their way into Chauke's cell.

Strict security measures were in force around the clock and prisoners in C-Max, where Chauke was being held, received only food prepared in the prison kitchen.

"If it was poison, this would have been detected by the hospital authorities," said Mosiane, adding that people should wait for the post-mortem before jumping to conclusions.

However, Beeld reported earlier that a former detective involved in the investigation of Chauke said he probably died of an illness related to AIDS.

The detective said Chauke had always refused to take an HIV test. "He was emaciated and weak when I last saw him a couple of months ago."

Undergoing tests

The hospital's chief executive, Dr Henlie Dafel, told City Press on Friday that Chauke was undergoing lung and liver tests.

His family said Chauke (36) fell ill in September after being visited by friends.

The family claimed that although Chauke, a former ANC councillor in Winterveld, was rich and owned two companies with some friends, it seemed as if he did not have a cent to his name.

The family is now destitute and Chauke's unemployed father Freddy and his sangoma wife are turning to their other sons to bury him.

In all, Chauke was linked to cash-in-transit heists involving R80m. The 12-year sentence he was serving related only to his role in the depot robbery.

- City Press