Clockwise from left: Len Cloete before the controversial Muldersdrift shooting; a police officer was captured on video firing the shot that wounded Cloete; and Cloete pictured with his wife, Chantal. Pictures: Facebook
On the night of 13 November 2021, a bullet to his brain irrevocably changed the life of the 59-year-old Leendert Johannes Cloete.
Today, the former Pretoria bodybuilder and once successful businessman, known to his friends as Len, is a mere shadow of the 120kg colossus of a man he used to be.
Cloete suffered brain damage, is wheelchair-bound and paralysed on the right side of his body, as well as struggles to speak, following the controversial Muldersdrift shooting incident in which he was shot at close range in the head by a police officer.
A case of attempted murder has been opened, but almost three years later, no one has been charged.
On Saturday, 13 November 2021, Cloete and his wife, Chantal, booked in for a weekend with some friends at the Misty Hills Country Hotel, Conference Centre and Spa in Muldersdrift, about 30km northwest of Johannesburg.
Cloete reportedly insisted on checking in with his gun, which led to an altercation with the lodge manager, who then asked him to leave.
What happened next is still the stuff of pure viral velcro…
When police arrived on the scene to diffuse the volatile situation, a stark-naked Cloete confronted them.
After putting on a pair of blue underpants, he takes a firearm out of the bed drawer and cocks it while swinging it around in front of the officers.
In the viral video clip filmed by a friend of the couple, Breydon Blignaut, an enraged Cloete can be seen wrestling a female police officer’s weapon from her hand.
One of the other officers reacts by firing a single shot at close range, wounding Cloete in the head.
Len’s bulk immediately buckles as he loses control of his arms and legs, and he falls to the ground twitching.
Shortly after the incident in December 2021, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Grace Langa stated that there was “no reason to arrest the officer at this stage” as investigations were ongoing.
Two years later, in 2023, the investigation seemed to have grinded to a halt, with Ipid spokesperson Phaladi Shuping citing an outstanding report as the reason for the delay.
He was quoted as saying by IOL that once the investigations were finalised, the docket would be handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
When approached for an update this week, Shuping’s answer echoed last year’s update. He was unable to shed any light on the nature of the report which is still outstanding.
ALSO READ: A thorough, impartial investigation needed in Len Cloete’s shooting
Well-known private investigator Mike Bolhuis and his investigating team at Specialised Security Services (SSS) were appointed in 2022 by Cloete’s family to investigate the matter.
Bolhuis said their main investigation focused on establishing whether the correct protocols had been followed during the incident.
SSS lead investigator Luke Enslin revealed in 2022 that Cloete’s inability to speak prevented him from giving his version of the events that ended in the tragic shooting incident.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping could not provide an answer when Maroela Media asked her in 2022 to what extent the investigation would be impacted if Cloete would not regain his speech.
Enslin told the publication that investigators would most likely have to rely on ballistic and medical reports in their investigation.
“These reports will be submitted to the NPA and they would then decide on the way forward.”
Advocate and political and human rights activist Mary de Haas told IOL that the delay in Cloete’s case was not unusual.
She, however, stressed that police officers are supposed to be trained to deal with threatening situations.
“Firstly, you should shoot to disarm. But which police officer shoots someone in the head to disarm a person?”
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