A farewell note left behind by a relative of a deceased East London policeman has confused investigators, who thought their colleague had committed suicide.
Police officers, summoned to the home of Captain Pierre Viviers on Saturday, initially thought he had committed suicide after they found what appeared to be a farewell note on a table in his home.
It later turned out the farewell note was written by Viviers’ older brother Brian, who had been visiting from Port Elizabeth and stayed with him for the week.
Brian left Gonubie on Thursday morning while Viviers, 48, was at work at the Cambridge police station.
He left a note thanking his brother for the wonderful and supportive person he was.
The police captain is said to have returned home, found the note and read it but left it where it was, prompting fellow officers summoned to his home after he turned up dead to surmise that he had committed suicide.
Rumours of a suicide circulated until Brian returned to East London and dispelled them.
“Although we are still waiting for postmortem results we think he died of a heart attack,” Viviers’ ex-wife Geraldine told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
She said Viviers had a history of breathing problems.
He was found dead in his bed, by close friends who arrived to pick him up for breakfast.
His best friend and colleague Captain Mario Kemp confirmed there had been no suicide.
“We were supposed to have attended a braai on Friday night. Pierre called to cancel because he said he was not feeling well.
“He went to the doctor to get medication and that was the last time I spoke to him,” Kemp said.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said Viviers’ untimely death had shocked colleagues at the station.
“He was a very good man, a humble colleague and a dedicated police officer. He was our sector policing commander whose daily duties were to liaise with residents in Nahoon, Baysville, Stirling, Bunkers Hill, Selborne and Berea.
“He will be solely missed by all those who got to work with him,” Mbi said.
A memorial service for Viviers will be held this week.
Details of his funeral will also be decided upon this week. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Dead officer’s family rule out suicide
Police officers, summoned to the home of Captain Pierre Viviers on Saturday, initially thought he had committed suicide after they found what appeared to be a farewell note on a table in his home.
It later turned out the farewell note was written by Viviers’ older brother Brian, who had been visiting from Port Elizabeth and stayed with him for the week.
Brian left Gonubie on Thursday morning while Viviers, 48, was at work at the Cambridge police station.
He left a note thanking his brother for the wonderful and supportive person he was.
The police captain is said to have returned home, found the note and read it but left it where it was, prompting fellow officers summoned to his home after he turned up dead to surmise that he had committed suicide.
Rumours of a suicide circulated until Brian returned to East London and dispelled them.
“Although we are still waiting for postmortem results we think he died of a heart attack,” Viviers’ ex-wife Geraldine told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
She said Viviers had a history of breathing problems.
He was found dead in his bed, by close friends who arrived to pick him up for breakfast.
His best friend and colleague Captain Mario Kemp confirmed there had been no suicide.
“We were supposed to have attended a braai on Friday night. Pierre called to cancel because he said he was not feeling well.
“He went to the doctor to get medication and that was the last time I spoke to him,” Kemp said.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said Viviers’ untimely death had shocked colleagues at the station.
“He was a very good man, a humble colleague and a dedicated police officer. He was our sector policing commander whose daily duties were to liaise with residents in Nahoon, Baysville, Stirling, Bunkers Hill, Selborne and Berea.
“He will be solely missed by all those who got to work with him,” Mbi said.
A memorial service for Viviers will be held this week.
Details of his funeral will also be decided upon this week. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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