Farm attack: Farmer stabbed five times outside Louis Trichardt

Another resident of the Soutpansberg was attacked on his smallholding outside Louis Trichardt on Monday night.

70-year-old Mr. Harry du Plessis was attacked by three men at his farm gate at one of the Rietvlei smallholdings at about 17:00. “They hurt him terribly. He was badly stabbed, ”Du Plessis’s former wife, Sylvia, told the Zoutpansberger on Tuesday.

Du Plessis was stabbed during the attack four or five times with a knife, including in the back and neck. The stab wound to his back caused bleeding on one of his lungs, while the stab would on his neck just missed his artery. “It’s just a miracle that he didn’t die on the farm,” said Sylvia.

The attackers fled with cash, Du Plessis’s cellphone and his bakkie. Du Plessis managed to crawl to his other bakkie and started to drive into town. Fortunately, a neighbour saw him along the way and noticed that he was in trouble. She stopped him and drove him to the Zoutpansberg Private Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

Du Plessis was transferred to the Medi Clinic in Tzaneen shortly after the attack. “The good news is that he was discharged from the intensive care unit this morning to an ordinary ward. Doctors say his condition is stable, “said Sylvia.

Du Plessis bakkie was found abandoned 3 Miles away shortly after the attack. Police suspect that his attackers left the vehicle because they battled to drive it.