Two farmers murdered on July 25th. One was blind and farmed 70km outside PE and the other murder was apparently near Alexandria. Chrisjan van Niekerk has been murdered at his shop Big Five Zuney. The suspects fled on foot and were seen on the neighboring farm.

Muldersdrift, Gauteng

A farm attack took place on the evening of 24 July 2020, at 20:00, on a smallholding, in Muldersdrift, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A man was shot after he had heard noises at his door and was then suddenly overpowered and shot below the knee by four attackers who plundered the home.

After stealing the man’s wallet, some appliance and phones the attackers fled the scene. The man is in hospital receiving medical attention. There have been no arrests. There is no other information available at this stage.

Mokopane, Limpopo

22 July 2020 (17H00) Bert Kotzé (48) attacked as he was opening a gate on his Bellevue farm in the Tinyne area. Four suspects tied Bert and his workers up. Suspects fled when the community started responding after a family member could not get hold of him.

It is believed that this is the same group that attacked Bert on his farm on May 24, 2020. Heritage Protection Group followed up on the tracks to where the suspects were picked up by a vehicle on the tar road.

Ottosdal, North West

24 July 2020 (09H00) Sarel van Zyl (49) and a farmworker attacked a farm outside Ottosdal. Three suspects tied up the worker before entering the residence, whereby they started searching for goods.

Sarel heard them and drew his weapon on the suspects. Suspects fled, and the farming community responded and detained the three.

Northam, Limpopo

19/7/2020: Farmer encountered an intruder on his way to his water pump. A fight ensued and the farmer managed to fire shots, hitting the suspect in his leg with the third shot. The suspect was arrested.

No serious injuries reported.

Frankfort, Free State

23 July 2020, at 01:42, after the swift response of a local farmer. A woman who was alone on the farm in Frankfort, Free State called for assistance after her dogs were barking incessantly. Tracks of two suspected terrorists and a knife were recovered outside the home.

The swift response probably saved another white persons life in South Africa. The woman was temporarily placed with family who stays nearby until her husband, who is away for work, returns.

There is no other information available at this stage. Police are investigating, there have been no arrests.

Police spokesperson Captain Khaya Tonjeni says the men aged between 33 and 48 will also be charged for the possession of dangerous weapons and conspiracy to commit an offence.

He says they had a knife, screwdriver and cable-ties in their possession.

The men were apprehended by a security firm and the police flying squad, K9 unit and police in Kidds Beach responded to the scene.

https://www.algoafm.co.za/local/suspects-arrested-on-farm-outside-east-london

Jess de Lange was outside her home at 11:00 when she was attacked by a man with his face covered, who held a knife to her throat.

The woman kicked the attacker and managed to free herself from his grip, she then fled into the house and activated the alarm. The alarm caused the attacker and his accomplice to flee the scene.

The attack took place on the neighbouring farm where on 4 May 2020, Patricia Orpen (78) was brutally murdered in an attack.

There is no other information available at this stage. And there have been no arrests.

#FarmMurder 4/5/2020: Cradock, Eastern Cape. Elderly (78) female victim’s body was found in her bedroom by SAPS after her daughter couldn’t contact her. Her bakkie was later found burning in a forest 5 km from the farm and was probably left there by the unknown suspect(s). pic.twitter.com/GjD3t2Qa7E

A farm murder took place on 4 May 2020, in Cradock, Eastern Cape province of South Africa. An elderly woman, Patricia Orpen (78) was found in her bedroom by the SAPS after her daughter couldn’t contact her.

Her bakkie was later found burning in a forest 5km from the farm Morgenson and was probably left there by the unknown attacker(s).

There is no other information available at this stage. Police are investigating the attack.

Charlie Hart Bittern Henderson was overpowered at his home by an unknown number of attackers.

Evidence found at the scene, when Harts’s body was discovered on the morning of 15 March 2020, indicates that the attackers had some sort of a party which included a lot of alcohol consumption and according to information a very severe and cruel murder scene was discovered.

The farmer was brutally slain before the attackers fled the scene in his Land Cruiser that was later found burnt out at Crossroads at the Rexfield and Toise intersection.

There is no other information available at this stage. The police are investigating the attack and murder.

A woman (48) noticed to armed men attempting to gain entrance to the farm office. One was armed with a firearm and the other a sharp object.

The armed attacker opened fire on the woman who retaliated and shot the attacker in the upper body.

The other suspect attacked the woman and stabbed her in the head with the sharp object.

The woman’s husband who was nearby contacted the emergency services who arrested the wounded attacker and gave medical assistance to the woman, she is in a stable condition.

The suspect who stabbed the woman fled the scene and as yet has not been arrested.

The suspects then drove to town with the couple and withdrew an undisclosed amount of money from their bank cards before returning back to the farm. As they arrived back at the farm the suspects tied the elderly man but not his wife and locked them in the bedroom. They allegedly threw petrol in the house and set it alight.

Due to the fact that one of the victims was not tied, she managed to untie her husband and they both managed to get out of the house through the windows and alerted the police.

The suspects fled the scene in an unknown vehicle and no arrests have been made at this stage. The couple was taken to hospital for medical care. A case of house robbery is under investigation.

Anyone who can assist with information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects may contact the investigating officer W/O Methuse at 045-9331193 or call the Crime Stop number 08600 10111.

At around 21:00, it is alleged that five men, at least one of them armed with a firearm and others with unknown weapons entered a farmhouse through a sliding door in Smithtown area outside Jeffreys Bay. A suspect with a firearm held an elderly couple at gunpoint and the victims were also tied with cables.

It is said that the suspects opened a safe, where they stole an Astra 38 special revolver with 80 live rounds of ammunition, a 9mm Star pistol, 30 live rounds of ammunition for a shotgun and 15 live rounds of ammunition for a 303 rifle.

It is said that the suspects also made off with three television sets and four cell phones. More than an hour later, the victims managed to free themselves and summoned neighbours for assistance.

Police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Monwabisi Peter at 042 200 6626.

The information may also be shared anonymously via Crime Stop 08600 10111.

The suspects tied the wrists of both ladies with cable ties and bound their legs with packaging tape to the legs of the chairs. They then ransacked the house, took an undisclosed amount of cash, a firearm and fled the scene after approximately two hours with an Isuzu bakkie which belonged to the victim. Both victims were severely traumatised and sustained bruises.

Information of the incident was circulated after one of the victims managed to free herself and alerted the SAPS. The speedy response by members of the Port Elizabeth Flying Squad resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of the vehicle approximately one and a half hours after the crime was perpetrated, in Motherwell, Port Elizabeth. One of the attackers, Mphathi Advocate Nkomonde who was fatally wounded by police was on bail for a robbery on a farm in Somerset East.

Several items were found in the possession of the other suspects including, applications for a firearm license belonging to the owner of the farm, safe keys, cash, household items taken during the robbery and the .38 Special Revolver which was taken from the farm.

Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga welcomed the sentence handed out to 51-year-old Lumnkile Manene and 37-year-old Zukile Vena who attacked the two elderly women.

She said, “successful convictions and sentences is based on several pillars including thorough crime scene management, meticulous statements, honest witness testimony and a solid relationship between the investigator and the National Prosecuting Authority”

Well known and notorious criminals, Lumnkile Manene had two previous convictions, robbery and escape from lawful custody and he was on parole. He was released a month prior to the incident. Zukile Vena had 5 previous convictions, three for housebreakings, one for theft and one for robbery.

When handing down the sentence, Judge Bloem of the Grahamstown High Court emphasized that it was a planned robbery and on their arrival at the scene they came with bolt cutters, knowing that the house is secure. They also came with gloves, packaging tape, cable ties and knives.

Advocate Jan Engelbrecht from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions worked closely with the Investigating Officer to prepare the case.

The two suspects remained in custody for the duration of the trial.

Earlier this month both the accused were found guilty of Count One Housebreaking with intent to commit robbery.
Count Two Aggravated Robbery.

Accused number one Lumnkile Manene was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for Housebreaking with intent to commit robbery and for aggravated Robbery 20 years imprisonment

Accused number two Zukile Vena was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for Housebreaking with intent to commit robbery and 15 years imprisonment for aggravated Robbery.