Herman Scholtz

Pretoria – The brother of sergeant Johannes Mogale, the Metro police officer from Tshwane who died on Friday night, has said his family does not bear a grudge against Blue Bull prop Bees Roux.

The family also believed that speculations about racism in the role of his death were inappropriate.

Alfred Mogale spoke to Rapport on Saturday. At the time, Roux, 28, was still being held in a police cell in Sunnyside after he apparently assaulted Mogale, 38, so severely that he died of his injuries.

Roux was allegedly drunk during the incident.

Mogale's family still had many questions about the incident.

"The only person who really knows what happened there, is dead," said Alfred Mogale.

The Roux family was also still coming to terms with the incident. They were planning on travelling from Prieska in the Northern Cape, where they stay, to Pretoria on Sunday to support the rugby player, said a source close to the family. 

"It is a very difficult time for Roux. He is not alone in the cell, but it is safe."

A family member who answered the telephone on Saturday said "all the newspapers are spinning the same story, but it is actually quite the opposite."

She then ended the call.

Roux's girlfriend, Karien du Toit, said Roux "wouldn't even hurt a fly". She visited him  briefly in his cell along with his agent, James Adams.

According to Dikeledi Leboye, mayoral committee member for community safety in Tshwane, sergeant Mogale and two other metro police members had pulled Roux off the N4 near Hatfield as they suspected he was drunk.

Sergeant Mogale got in behind the steering wheel to drive him home and a row ensued.

An eyewitness said Roux had repeatedly hit Mogale and thrown him on the road. Roux apparently shouted: "You thief! You want to steal my car!"

Alfred Mogale said the family didn't understand where the two other Metro police officers fit into the picture. Leboye said they were still too traumatised to talk about the incident.