Police: Family Killed Dad for Changing TV to World Cup

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (June 18) -- The wife and son of a South African man allegedly beaten to death because he wanted to change the TV channel to a World Cup match have been jailed until a court hearing after the tournament ends next month.

Police say David Makoeya, 61, fought with his wife and two children last Sunday over what to watch on television at their home in Limpopo province, in South Africa's far northeast. Makoeya wanted to watch the Germany versus Australia soccer game that night, but his family wanted to see a gospel program.

"He said, 'No, I want to watch soccer,' and that's when the argument started," police spokesman Mothemane Malefo told reporters from several news agencies. After fighting over the remote control, the father got up to change the TV channel by hand, and his family "started assaulting him."

"It appears they banged his head against the wall," Malefo said. "They phoned the police only after he was badly injured, but by the time the police arrived, the man was already dead."

Makoeya's 68-year-old wife, Francina; his 36-year-old son, Collin; and 23-year-old daughter, Lebogang, were all arrested on Sunday night and appeared on court on Tuesday. It's unclear whether they've yet been charged.

After the hearing, the daughter was released on the equivalent of about $200 bail, but her mother and brother remain behind bars. They face another court hearing on July 27.

The cheapest World Cup tickets were offered to South Africans for about $20, which is still more than many locals can afford. Many South Africans have been watching matches at home instead or in huge open-air screening facilities set up by FIFA, world soccer's governing body.