Four people have been arrested regarding the murder of a well-known farmer in the Grootvlei Balfour district in Mpumalanga.

Theo Bekker (79) and his wife, Marlinda, were attacked on their farm on Sunday between 07:00 and 09:00.

According to reports, the attackers pounced while Bekker was outside and forced him back inside the house.

He was assaulted and hit over the head with a heavy object, causing fatal injuries.

They also assaulted Marlinda, and she sustained severe injuries.

The intruders searched the home and fled with firearms and money in one of the couple’s vehicles.

Marlinda reached a neighbour’s home for help, and the relevant law enforcement agencies were dispatched. She was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Accident leads to arrests

Law enforcement initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, who had an accident in the Villiers area while fleeing. They tried to evade capture, but authorities tracked them down.

Law enforcement recovered the stolen firearms at the accident scene and arrested four suspects less than two hours after the attack.

The suspects are between 16 and 19 years of age, and two of them are said to have previously worked on the farm.

The Mpumalanga police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Semakeleng Daphney Manamela, condemns the attack.

Manamela says: “The positive contribution from the community assisted us in arresting the suspects. The help will surely not go unnoticed.”

The suspects will soon appear in the Villiers Magistrate’s Court on various charges, including possession of stolen firearms and vehicle theft.

After the court appearances, the suspects will be transferred to the Balfour court to face charges of robbery, murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.