Locals in the Endumeni district donned black today as the country comes out to protest farm attacks and spiralling violent crime.

Many wore black to work and those who spoke to the Courier said they hoped the Government would finally take ‘stronger measures’ to ensure farmers’s safety and food security.

The comes in the wake of an  attack on an elderly man in the Gelukstadt area this morning, Bokkie Potgieter, was attacked by a panga-wielding man n his property at around 10am.  He was not a bona fide farmer but was said to have been given land by a trust to grow vegetables and breed chickens.

His attacker loaded Mr Potgieter (74) into a bakkie and drove for about 500 metres – the vehicle then went into a donga and crashed.  Mr Potgieter suffered more injuries in the crash.

Members of the local community pursued the attacker, caught him and assaulted him and he too died of the injuries he sustained.

When police arrived, Mr Potgieter was still alive but passed on shortly afterwards.  His death will be marked as a farm attack as it occurred in a rural, farming area.

Dundee Junior staff showing their support

Amanda Bezuidenhout from the Glencoe Stock Theft Unit.