PALL-BEARERS
Family, clients at service for slain advocate
carry Cape Town advocate Pete Mihalik’s coffin to the hearse following his funeral service at St Mary’s Cathedral in Cape Town. Mihalik was shot dead, allegedly by KZN hitmen, while dropping off his children at school. |
GANGSTERS, lawyers and judges filled St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral for the funeral of advocate Pete Mihalik.
Mihalik, 50, was buried yesterday after being shot dead nearly two weeks ago.
Private bodyguards were scattered in and around the church, along with a police presence.
Mourners included former clients, alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, who was a pall-bearer, and murder accused Colin Booysen, who is the brother of alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen.
Underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack made a brief appearance, and Judge Siraj Desai, as well as Mihalik’s father, Janos Mihalik, a former advocate, were in attendance.
Mihalik was shot dead in his car outside Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard school in Green Point while taking his children to school. His son Daniel, 8, was shot in the face and hospitalised, while his daughter, Cassidy, 17, was not injured.
His wife Karin, who suffered from depression, hanged herself in 2015 at the age of 48.
Mihalik was dating Tasmin Tobitt, the ex-wife of former Springbok rugby player Percy Montgomery.
Cassidy said she struggled to find the words to describe “such an extraordinary man”.
“My dad was the type of person you did not forget. If you wanted something he’d do anything and everything to achieve it. He built his kingdom from the ground up.”
She said despite her father’s “arrogant and selfish facade”, he was one of the “most generous people”.
“On many occasions he would give up his Saturday afternoons to take Daniel and me from place to place.
“He never traded his authenticity for the approval of others. He would admit his flaws and worked hard every single day to improve himself.”
Her brother Daniel was not at the funeral, and is still recovering from his injury.
Ross Mckernan, a friend, delivered a moving eulogy on behalf of Mihalik’s close friend, Jock Walters, detailing Mihalik’s career in law and his upbringing as a young man.
“Pete was a survivor. At the age of 12 he and his brother took a train to Bloemfontein, where they attended boarding school. The kids teased Pete because of his surname and it was there that Pete had to learn to stand up for himself,” said Mckernan.
“Even as a child Pete gave good advice. He once told a classmate not to grow a wishbone where a backbone should be. As a young child Pete aspired to study law. He worked hard and achieved good results.”
He added that Mihalik had taken pride in his work and would “fight for the underdog”.
On Thursday, three men appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murder.
The third suspect, Vuyile Maliti, joined Sizwe Sinzokohle Biyela and Nkosinathi Khumalo in the dock after handing himself over to police on Wednesday.
In addition to the charge of murder, the men have been charged with attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
The case was postponed until
Thursday.
The Cape Bar announced that a memorial service would be held for Mihalik at the Centre for the Book tomorrow at 4.15pm.