Daily Sun (August 29 2013) - SIX months after the horror death of Mido Macia, his family is still in the dark over their compensation claim against South Africa's minister of police. And the deadline for submitting notice of a claim expires tomorrow - less than 48 hours away! MIDO'S FATHER JOSEFA TOLD DAILY SUN YESTERDAY: "NO ONE TELLS ME ANYTHING!"
Speaking from his home in Mozambique, Josefa said he last heard from lawyers acting for the Mozambique government in June. After that - nothing. Mido died on 28 February this year after being dragged behind a Daveyton police van.
Daily Sun published a reader's video of the dragging and the horrifying pictures were seen all over the world. At the time, a South African law firm offered to act for Mido's grieving family free of charge in a court action for compensation.
But the Mozambican government stepped in and kicked the SA lawyers off the case after speaking to Josefa. A Mozambican lawyer, Jose Nascimento, then promised Mido's father that a "political solution" would be found for the family's distress.
Nascimento was quoted by the SABC in April as saying he was planning to take court action against the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, but he was hoping for an out-of-court settlement.
The six-month statutory time allowed to lodge a case from the date of the crime expires at close of business tomorrow. Despite making extensive inquiries of police authorities yesterday, Daily Sun was unable to establish whether the required Letter of Demand had been lodged in good time.