Victim of farm attack passes in hospital
They were robbed and brutally attacked on their farm near Waterval Boven
MBOMBELA – Dries Schoeman (70), the man who fell victim to a farm attack in Waterval Boven, passed away in hospital on Sunday.
His son-in-law, Frans Pieterse, confirmed on Monday that he apparently had bleeding on his brain due to his injuries. He passed at 01:30 in a hospital in eMalahleni.
Schoeman and his wife Mariaan (68) were robbed and brutally attacked on their farm near Waterval Boven on June 21. Mariaan was discharged from hospital on June 27.
On the night of the attack, Mariaan returned to the farm from Mbombela at around 15:30. A man was waiting for her at their house. He overpowered her and tied her hands, ankles, neck and wrists with wire. When Dries came across his wife and tried to help her, the suspect hit him on his head with a panga.
Dries was also tied up. The couple were robbed of two washing machines, a freezer, an electric stove, a gas stove, hi-fi and a double bed.
The two victims were dragged into a plantation adjacent to their farm. Provincial police spokesman, Sgt Gerald Sedibe said Mariaan managed to wriggle herself loose the following morning. The police were alerted from a neighbour’s home. Upon arriving at the scene, they found Dries injured and both the Schoemans highly traumatised. They were airlifted to hospital.
Arcolano Docé (23) was arrested in Machadadorp after a manhunt by police and Afriforum on June 24.
They found all the stolen items in his possession. Sedibe said he had previously worked for the couple.
Docé is expected to reappear in the Machadadorp Magistrate’s Court tomorrow. He faces charges of assault GBH and armed robbery. Sedibe said police were awaiting the results of the post-mortem before a decision will be made about adding murder to the charges.
