Family tragedy on wine farm
2005-12-01
THREE shots ended the lives of internationally acclaimed tenor Deon van der Walt and his father, prominent Paarl farmer Charles, on the family’s wine estate north of Paarl on Tuesday.
Tragedy struck in the master bedroom at midday. When emergency services arrived on the scene, both father and son were dead.
Deon (47) was on the floor with two bullet wounds in the chest, while Charles (78) lay next to the bed, a bullet wound in his right temple.
A .38 Special revolver was found next to the older man’s body.
Financial documents that could have led to a quarrel and the tragedy, lay open on a side table.
Police arrived in droves to attend to the apparant murder and suicide.
While shockwaves rippled from family and farm employees to friends, the wine and art world, family friend Advocate Mike Lochner comforted the van der Walts.
“We don’t know what happened,” he said.
“It was only oom Charles and Deon at home at the time of the incident. When Deon’s mother Sheila returned from shopping she made the discovery.
“We only know that there had been a shooting incident, or a shooting accident. Further than that, we can only speculate.”
While police forensic experts returned to the van der Walt homestead the day after the killings, rumours about a family feud and financial dispute were rife.
Police would not comment on earlier statements that Charles had fired two bullets into his son’s chest before turning the gun on himself.
“Intensive forensic investigation is being conducted,” was the official comment.
Apart from his wife, Charles is also survived by his son Marcel, winemaker at Veenwouden, Adi, who farms at Edenheim, their wives René and Marilize, and two grandchildren.
Flags were still flying outside the residence after the killings, hoisted as was the custom upon the return of the famous son.
Deon had arrived in South Africa on November 9 and was due to return to his home in Zurich on December 20.
Van der Walt was considered one of the world’s leading lyric tenors, with one of the most unique and natural voices in the world.
He had performed the Grand Slam of the opera world, performing at the opera houses La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, Covent Carden in London in Munich and the New York Metropolitan Opera.
He made his debut as Jaquino in “Fidelio” at the Cape Town Opera House even before graduating at the University of Stellenbosch, after which numerous scholarships and awards came his way.
Although he was based in Europe, van der Walt considered Veenwouden his home. He had recently indicated that he intended returning to South Africa permanently.
Last week he made a donation to the proposed Paarl Festival and expressed his intention to organise participation by European opera stars in September next year.
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