A 43-year-old farmer from the Bergville area arrived home from harvesting crops shortly after 7pm to find five armed gunmen waiting for him in his house.
The farmer was tied-up and severely assaulted. They continued beating him for a while, demanding that he open a safe. He was then left in one of the bedrooms, along with the domestic worker. The domestic alleged that she had been cleaning the house at around 5pm when she was surprised by the entrance of the five suspects.
They had allegedly demanded cash and firearms from her, but after she indicated to them that she did not have access to these items, the suspects tied her up and left her in a bedroom. They then waited for the farmer to arrive home.
The suspects fled with several firearms and the farmer’s SUV. After the suspects left, the farmer managed to get help from other employees on the farm and police were called. Police officers from Bergville Visible Policing, Bergville Detective Services, Winterton SAPS, the Ladysmith K9 Unit and Ladysmith Cluster Trio Task Team responded. A tracking device in the farmer’s vehicle was activated, which led police to the road between Bergville and Winterton. As they were speeding along the road, they spotted two vehicles at the side of the road. Neither of the vehicles belonged to the farmer. A short distance further on, they found the stolen SUV, left abandoned in a field.
Using a tracker dog, they chased the suspects to the spot where the two vehicles had been parked.
Realising that the suspects must be in the vehicles, they radioed ahead. Bergville police spotted the cars in the Bergville area and they were stopped.
Four suspects were arrested. One of the suspects was found to be in possession of the farmer’s jacket and several rounds of ammunition. Police are still searching for the other two vehicles and suspects.
It soon became apparent to police that two of the suspects were related to the domestic worker at the farm. The domestic worker has since also been arrested and is alleged to have been an accomplice in the planning of the farm attack. All suspects are set to appear in the Bergville Magistrate’s Court on several charges, including house robbery. The farmer is currently still in hospital recovering from his injuries.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt General Mmamonnye Ngobeni welcomed the speedy arrest of the suspects by the members. “We hope that the remaining suspects will be arrested soon and brought to book as well to face their wrongful acts.”
