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George “Frik” Marx was shot dead by fleeing robbers disguised as security guards as he arrived at Builders Warehouse in Rivonia on 22 February.
Marx, who had gone to the store to pick up supplies, ran a small construction company and was the family’s breadwinner.
Since his death, Marx’s widow, Natasha, and her two young children are destitute. They have to rely on Marx’s brother, David, for financial support. Natasha works part-time as an office assistant but does not earn enough to support her young family.
Massmart, the mega-corporation that owns the Builders Warehouse chain, promised the family in a press statement that it would provide assistance pending its investigation.
But after covering the funeral costs, Massmart, owned by global corporation Walmart, has refused any further requests for financial aide from Natasha, and the family is suing Massmart and its contracted security company.
The Marx family’s lawyer, Katie Jordaan, has sent a letter of demand to Massmart requesting more than R3m to support Natasha and her two children, Thinus, 11 months, and 12-year-old Samantha.
Jordaan said it was Massmart’s gross negligence that had led to Marx’s death, as the robbers had infiltrated the guarded centre to rob the store. Jordaan and the Marx family believe proper security checks could have prevented the thugs from entering the premises.
Jordaan said: “Common decency dictates that (Massmart) should help.”
Massmart admitted that the company was still conducting its investigation into Marx’s death — nearly five months later.
But in its response, Massmart placed the blame for the robbery on their independently contracted security company.
“We are confident that a court of law will take a similar view in this regard,” the response read.
Jordaan has promised to take the massive corporation to the High Court for the civil claim and has begun drafting a civil claim.
“We will be fighting this,” said Jordaan. — Sapa
Online Reporter