Retired general found dead

2003-08-04 17:35

Pretoria - A 75-year-old retired lieutenant-general in the former SA Defence Force was found murdered in his Waterkloof Ridge home on Monday, Pretoria police said.

Gert Johannes Petrus de Wachter was found dead by his son, Johan, about 13:00, said police spokesperson Inspector Percy Morokane.

He said neighbours looked over the wall after hearing dogs barking between 09:00 and 10:00 but saw nothing amiss.

Johan de Wachter last spoke to his father at 08:00, and made an appointment to meet him two hours later. When the older man failed to turn up, and after several failed attempts to reach him by telephone, his son went to his house.

He found his father's body in the lounge.

Robbery appears to have been the motive for the attack, as the house had been ransacked, Morokane said.

A full inventory had yet to be taken of the household goods but at this stage it appeared as if only a cellphone had been taken.

Morokane said it appears De Wachter died after being beaten over the head several times with a blunt object.

There had been no forced entry into the house.

- SAPA