Pretoria farm robberies surge ahead of the festive season Picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA)
Farm attacks in Pretoria seem to be surging ahead of the festive season following two robberies this week.
In the first incident, tthree men stormed a farm at Gilia Street plot in Uitzicht, Kameeldrift West, assaulted an elderly couple and took off with electric appliances, including a TV and two Samsung cellphones.
The perpetrators also allegedly stole jewellery, power tools, four firearms and two vehicles, a white Toyota Hilux and a silver Polo Classic.
The two victims, a husband and wife, have been admitted to hospital after a security company reported the incident, according to regional police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk.
The suspects allegedly pointed a firearm at the husband when the couple arrived at the gate and forced him to open the burglar door. They then fired a shot but missed the husband, after which the couple were forced into the house and the suspects hit the man with a panga in his arm and stomach.
“They also hit him with another object on his head, face and body. They also hit the woman with an unknown object on her face and body. They took them to the complainant’s disabled uncle’s flat on the property. They tied them up and left them there. They then ransacked the house,” Van Dyk said.
In another incident, also this week, at Onderstepoort farm, another couple were cleaning a pigpen when they were surprised by robbers at their home, Van Dyk said.
“One hit them with a firearm, shoving them into the pigpen, and proceeded to take their cellphones, electric appliances, a Ford Ranger and Ford Bantam.”
Van Dyk added that the victims then transferred R75 000 from their account to the perpetrators’.
He said the farmowner later identified two as his employees, who were foreign nationals.
In September, 14-year-old Jayden Louw was shot and killed during an attack at a family farm in Welbekend outside Bapsfontein, Pretoria.
According to his mother Lyall Louw, there was a knock at the front door at midday and the people knocking were five men unknown to her.
She said she started to worry when she realised they were armed. The men entered and forced her to open the safe. They took everything in it, and shot Jayden when he tried to intervene after seeing the alleged perpetrators manhandling his mother.
Jayden was rushed to hospital by his mother but died shortly afterwards.
According to a farm attack report released by AfriForum in September, more than 95% of all farm attacks and murder incidents are still unsolved.
The report states that out of the 1 402 farm attacks and farm murders recorded by the SAPS in the past four years (from 2019 to 2022), convictions have so far been made in only 66 cases.
Out of the 153 farm murders recorded by SAPS in the four years from 2019 to 2022, there were convictions in only 24 incidents. Therefore 84% of farm murder incidents are still unsolved.
AfriForum added that farm attacks were on the rise, those in Mpumalanga and Gauteng surging the most.
Pretoria News
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za
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