Ward councillor Frik van Wyk loses battle to Covid-19
“It is just too sudden… he sounded so lively and happy in the last voice message he sent me.”
Pretoria ward councillors and DA members announced with a heavy heart the devastating loss of one of their own.
Ward 55 councillor Frik van Wyk passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 62.
Van Wyk tested positive for Covid-19 a week ago.
Neighbouring ward councillor Elma Nel said she was devastated by the news of her friend’s death.
“He became ill just two weeks ago. He thought it was only a bit of flu, and I urged him to stay in bed,” said Nel.
“A week ago he called to say he tested positive for Covid-19.”
Nel delivered soup and food to Van Wyk’s house and communicated with him via WhatsApp.
“In the last voice message he sent me he still sounded so lively and happy,” said Nel.
“I really can’t believe he’s gone…”

Messages of condolences with the Van Wyk family poured in on Facebook.
Colleagues and community members alike shared fond memories with him.
Van Wyk’s family did not immediately want to speak to the media out of respect for his wife Claudine, who was out of Pretoria.
Van Wyk leaves behind his wife, three sons and three grandchildren.
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