“We worked together in this business for many years and he was a great business partner. No matter what was happening, my husband had a tremendous ability to love.
“He just did not deserve this. His capacity to give to others was overwhelming.
“He genuinely loved the customers. He knew them and I am proud of what he achieved.”
Pope, who is the first team hockey coach at an East London school, said her husband was also a sportsperson at heart. “He played everything. He played rugby; he was a provincial hockey and cricket player and also enjoyed playing golf.”
Speaking on the spate of business robberies in East London, she said: “We often discussed this with my husband and he always said if there was more respect and love, all these things that come from greed would disappear. The crime is frightening.
“It creates anger but to fight evil, we have got to continue to be good people ourselves.
“I will continue to live my life based on love and faith.” She said the East London community had given tremendous support to the grieving family.
“Our friends have been beside us all this time. People that I do not even know from all over the world have been calling me.
“I am just so pleased that my husband’s life touched so many people,” Pope said.
The family spokesperson for Fourie, Duane Nel, said the family was still going through the painful process of planning his funeral.
“The family has been battling with this; He was the one who did everything for them. They have flown from Johannesburg and will be staying this side for a while.
“He [Fourie] was the kind of guy to help anybody with anything. If anyone was in trouble he was the first person in line to help.
“He was a great guy and had been going to church for the past year to become a Christian again,” Fourie said.
Pope will be buried on Monday at the St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cambridge and Fourie will be laid to rest at the Bikers’ Church in Gonubie on Wednesday.
Grieving wife tells of Brett’s love
Killing of Brett Pope and JJ Kobus Fourie creates anger, but shows need to love, overcome evil, wife says
Image: Bhongo Jacob
The wife of slain East London businessman Brett Pope, who was gunned down by two robbers on Wednesday, said he was a man who loved and respected others.
“No matter what was happening, my husband had a tremendous ability to love.
“He just did not deserve this,” said his wife Cheryl Pope.
Brett, of Sanan’s Supermarket, and Prism Products manager JJ Kobus Fourie, who were both killed, were victims of a rising wave of armed robberies in the province.
They were shot on the corner of the Mdantsane Access and Robbie de Lange roads by thugs who made off with an undisclosed amount of money.
Describing her husband as “one in a million”, a devastated Pope said she would “take things one day at a time”.
The couple were married for 26 years and had two children, Rebecca, 23, who is completing her studies in the US and flew home Friday, and Jordan, 21, a BCom student at the University of Free State.
Speaking from Sanan’s Supermarket on Friday, an emotional Pope said: “He [Brett] always helped others. His greatest quality was how he made other people happy.
Hijackers kill two EL men
“We worked together in this business for many years and he was a great business partner. No matter what was happening, my husband had a tremendous ability to love.
“He just did not deserve this. His capacity to give to others was overwhelming.
“He genuinely loved the customers. He knew them and I am proud of what he achieved.”
Pope, who is the first team hockey coach at an East London school, said her husband was also a sportsperson at heart. “He played everything. He played rugby; he was a provincial hockey and cricket player and also enjoyed playing golf.”
Speaking on the spate of business robberies in East London, she said: “We often discussed this with my husband and he always said if there was more respect and love, all these things that come from greed would disappear. The crime is frightening.
“It creates anger but to fight evil, we have got to continue to be good people ourselves.
“I will continue to live my life based on love and faith.” She said the East London community had given tremendous support to the grieving family.
“Our friends have been beside us all this time. People that I do not even know from all over the world have been calling me.
“I am just so pleased that my husband’s life touched so many people,” Pope said.
The family spokesperson for Fourie, Duane Nel, said the family was still going through the painful process of planning his funeral.
“The family has been battling with this; He was the one who did everything for them. They have flown from Johannesburg and will be staying this side for a while.
“He [Fourie] was the kind of guy to help anybody with anything. If anyone was in trouble he was the first person in line to help.
“He was a great guy and had been going to church for the past year to become a Christian again,” Fourie said.
Pope will be buried on Monday at the St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cambridge and Fourie will be laid to rest at the Bikers’ Church in Gonubie on Wednesday.
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