Family of shot businessman praying for a miracle

Friends and family of the popular Pretoria businessman, who was shot in the head by a police officer last week, are praying for a miracle as he fights for his life in hospital.

Len Cloete (59), the owner of a gym in Rietvleirand, east of Pretoria, was injured during an altercation with police at a Muldersdrift Misty Hills lodge a week ago.

Cloete is seen in a video disarming a police officer during what seemed like a heated argument, after which another officer shoots him in the head causing him to fall to the ground.

A week later, the bullet remains lodged in his head and he remains in an induced coma.

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Friend to the Cloete family, Chantél Blignaut said a prayer session would be held on Saturday for the father of seven, with the hope that he pulls through.

“Doctors said they can’t promise that he is going to pull through, it’s in God’s hands,” she said.

“She [Cloete’s wife] asked me, she said to me, ‘Maatjie, we need to pray’. She asked that we hold a prayer session for him to pull through.

“Five, six prayers are better than one.”

Blignaut said anyone was welcome and they could bring flowers and candles to the session that will be held at 378 Queens Crescent, Lynnwood.

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Speaking to Rekord through her private investigator, Mike Bolhuis, Cloete’s wife, Chantel asked that people refrain from making any hurtful comments about her husband on social media.

“I would highly appreciate it if [people on] social media would be considerate and stop making comments or try to influence the investigation,” she said.

“Those posts are unacceptable, unprofessional and hurtful. I am a wife with a husband that’s fighting for his life and there are kids, family and friends seeing these posts.”

Specialised Security Services’s Bolhuis said Cloete remained in a critical condition and was being fed through tubes.

“There is still a lot of issues that doctors are dealing with such as dried blood which they are draining through his nose.

“They are feeding him through tubes and they are slowly trying to get him out of the induced coma, but it is still a critical situation.

“However, he is stable and getting better. He is not getting worse,” he said.

Bolhuis said the family and friends were trying to see Cloete as much as possible amidst the strict Covid-19 rules at hospitals.

Speaking about the investigation, Bolhuis said he would leave no stone unturned to uncover the truth behind the shooting.

ALSO READ: Pretoria family opens attempted murder case against police after hotel shooting

He said the main focus was on whether the police officer who fired at Cloete had followed protocol before doing so. They would look at whether a stern warning was issued, or if a warning shot was fired into the ground or a warning shot in the leg.

“A case of attempted murder was opened against the police. That’s just normal procedure that needs to be followed,” he said.

“There is still information that we are collecting. The investigation has three parts that we need. Before, during and after the incident. The Muldersdrift police station’s docket as well as Ipid’s docket will be thoroughly evaluated. ”

Bolhuis said the case would not be finalised by the end of the year and would continue into 2022.

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