SECUNDA – She shuddered visibly as she let go of her youngest son’s hand to allow the police pathologist to load the body into the mortuary van on Saturday morning, 1 June.
“Dirkie was a very caring person,” said Ms Henriëtte Nel on the scene where her son, Mr Dirkie Arnold (25), was found dead on a sidewalk between Lewis Furniture Store and the Secunda Apartments and old mall in the CBD.
“He would share his food and his warm clothes with others who also lived on the street.”
She told her older son, Sydney, that her baby’s hands were still warm to the touch when she arrived at his side.
Ms Santa Theunissen who works at Lewis, discovered the young man’s body on her way to work that morning.
“He had marks on his arm and blood was flowing from his mouth,” she said.
She and her colleagues knew Dirkie well. “He was always nice to us,” said Ms Theunissen.
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Accusations were tossed about on the scene that Dirkie was assaulted by a group of men in black clothes two days prior to his death.
Their faces were partially covered and they were allegedly wearing battle jackets when they ruffed up the homeless people in the CBD during the course of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, 29 and 30 May.
Dirkie’s older brother pointed the finger on social media at the Community Policing Forum (CPF).
“Dirkie said the people we always associated with the CPF, stepped on him,” said Sydney.
“He did not look well, but Dirkie did not want anyone else to help him except for me.”
The brothers spent that day together in the parking lot where Sydney is a car guard.
“Dirkie did not want to come home, because he did not want our mom to see him like that. He looked even worse the Friday, but refused to go to hospital. His right elbow was badly swollen and he was holding his rib cage. He had difficulty breathing.”
It appears that Dirkie’s condition deteriorated on Friday and some of his fellow street dwellers pushed him in a trolley to the police station.
ER24 rushed him to Evander Hospital.
“He didn’t stay put. He called our dad who dropped him back at his usual spot in town,” explained Sydney.
“Dirkie called me at about 2.30am on Saturday. I helped him into a freezer suit and stuffed it with papers I found lying around. I helped him cover his head and fluffed his pillow to make him more comfortable.”
He told Dirkie to hang on while he went home to get dressed and to get what was needed to help his brother.
Sydney is only a year older than Dirkie and also lived with his brother on the street for a while. They were very close.
“I managed to get out, but it was difficult for Dirkie.
“He was the best rugby player in Laerskool Goedehoop in his day, but we had a tough childhood and Dirkie acted out.
“We were both homeless before my 20th birthday. We were so unhappy and depressed and the only thing that made us feel better, was drugs.
“Although I was able to clean up, Dirkie could not deal with the constant sadness,” said Sydney.
His family wants people to know that Dirkie was more than just the sad bundle on the street.
“He was someone’s son. He was someone’s brother and best friend.”
Capt Bettina Zondo who was on the scene on Saturday, said an inquest was opened and the police are waiting for the post mortem results to reveal the cause of death.
Mr Bjon Wright, chairman of the Secunda CPF, expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
“The allegations of an assault form part of the current investigation.
“It is clear that the individuals who were involved, acted on their own as this does not form part of the CPF actions,” said Mr Wright.
“I will personally assist the police with all enquiries and will personally supply a statement and testify in court against the vigilantes who operated outside the CPF’s code of conduct. The CPF is only there as the eyes and the ears to the police,” said Mr Wright.
Mr Jan du Plessis, chairman of AfriForum condemned the assault of vagrants.
“I can say with all surety that our members were not involved in this matter. None of our members were operative on Wednesday night and the only time we go into the CBD, is when the police ask us to assist them.”
