Five suspects nabbed for Ermelo farm murder
Five suspects are expected to appear in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court in connection with the farm murder outside Ermelo.
ERMELO – Five suspects are expected to appear in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on January 11 for the farm attack that was reported on 21 December 2023.
The body of Jan Weideman (59) was found on 21 December at 22:00 in the living room of their house on a farm outside the town.
Police were notified about the gruesome discovery, and an investigation was launched.
Members of Ermelo Investigation Team and the Secunda Murder and Robbery unit arrested the five suspects with the assistance of members from the Mpumalanga Tactical Response Team.
Three suspects aged between 23 and 34 years were arrested 18 days after the incident, on January 10. Two additional suspects aged 35 and 37 were arrested the next day.
Police continued with the investigation which led to the recovery of three firearms that were reported stolen during the farm attack and an extra firearm that was reported stolen in Piet Retief in May 2022.
During the farm attack, a rifle, safe with jewelry worth more than R300 000 and a Toyota Hilux were stolen.
The vehicle was found abandoned in Breyten the following day without a battery.
During the arrest, the battery engraved with the vehicle’s registration numbers was found with one of the arrested suspects.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has commended members who worked round the clock to connect dots to the farm attack which led to the arrest and recovery of some of the stolen properties.
