Close call for Fochville farmer

Mr Frans de Bruyn was on his farm on the Crocodilian road between Fochville and Westonaria at approximately 23:00 on 8 November when the incident happened. He was in the house when he heard bells at the kraal where he kept his cattle.
He went to investigate but walked into a gang of thieves.
They fired shots at De Bruyn, but he managed to get back home and call the CPF and other groups for help.
“Help me – Frans de Bruyn – I am being attacked.
Come help me,” was De Bruyn’s first call for help with shots ringing in the background.
Other farmers, CPF members and some police members raced to his assistance and found his 57 stolen cattle running in a road towards the mines, terrified.
They herded all the cattle back to De Bruyn’s farm.
According to De Bruyn, stock thieves and robbers have targeted farmers in this area for roughly the past month.
In one incident, they murdered an up-and-coming farmer and stole 43 of his cattle.
In another incident in the area, at about 19:15 on the same evening, stock thieves stole 150 cattle on a farm between Carletonville and Randfontein.
According to the Herald’s sister newspaper, Randfontein Herald, six armed robbers first assaulted the man herding the cattle before robbing him and his wife of valuables.
They then stole the cattle.
The suspects used dogs to drive the cattle towards the R559 between Carletonville and Randfontein.
Luckily, the police recovered all the cattle.
The police believe the stock thieves steal the cattle for resale or to sell the meat at cheaper prices.