A Bruggeling, who has been living in South Africa for a number of years, was found dead in his burnt-out car on the side of the road on Monday. V ccording to the local police ruled out malice . For the time being, it remains unclear to the next of kin what exactly happened.
Bruggeling Pieter-Jan Staelens is an ex-lawyer who decided to follow his heart a few years ago and together with his wife and three children, sixteen, ten and four years old, to move to South Africa. The man met his Gabonese wife during his student days and lived in Cape Town for a while. Then they returned to Belgium. Within the lawyers’ environment the man had a very good reputation. As a lawyer, he concentrated primarily on immigration law until he, together with his family, moved back to South Africa.
Pieter-Jan promoted green energy there and sold windmills and solar energy. A day before his death, he still had his father on the line, lawyer and chairman of the Bruges bar Bart Staelens. They were talking about the things of life and about things. There was no dirt in the air. However, the phone rang again two days later. This time it was the Gabonese wife of Pieter-Jan who reported the terrible news.
Looking for clarification
The lifeless body of Pieter-Jan was found in his burnt-out car along the side of the road. Father Bart still does not know what exactly happened and has meanwhile arrived in South Africa in search of clarification about the circumstances of the death of his son.
“Although it is not certain that it will ever come,” says Bart, who wants to take a look at the accident site. “We do not get any answers with staying at home,” it still sounds. Has an accident happened? Did he fall asleep with a cigarette in the car? The local police excludes malicious intent in any case. What then happened, remains unclear for the time being.
As said, the man leaves behind a wife and three children.
