73-year-old Anneke Claassen and her 77-year-old husband, Hennie Claassen, were brutally murdered over the weekend in the Klipfonteinhoek area near Ohrigstad in Limpopo. It is alleged that they were tortured before being set on fire alive.
“She [Anneke] was tortured and set on fire,” community activist Yusuf Abramjee said.
Photo: Hennie Claassen/Facebook
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that police were called at 13:30 on Saturday.
Upon police arrival at the scene, they found two burnt-out bodies in two different buildings in the hotel.
The incident took place on the Klipfonteinhoek farm (Echo Caves in Ohrigstad). The couple were the owners of the hotel on the farm.
The bodies were burned beyond recognition.
“According to police information, a man fled the scene with a smack,” Ledwaba said.
The motive for the killings is not known and no one has yet been arrested.
Police have launched a search for the suspect(s).
“A brutal attack on two elderly people at the Echo Caves near Ohrigstad has re-emphasised the brutality of violent crime in South Africa,” said Marcelle Maritz of the FF Plus.
“They were set on fire while they were still alive after being tortured,” Maritz says.
The FF Plus is in contact with all involved who are still conducting a search for the suspects.
The FF Plus will visit the family of the victims on Tuesday, 6 June.
The party once again urges communities to put safety mechanisms in place, engage with existing networks and be extremely vigilant to ensure their own safety.
“The government needs to start showing its seriousness about crime. Lip service will not stop criminals.
“Specialist units will have to be brought back and the police and the National Prosecuting Authority must be adequately equipped to catch and bring criminals to book,” Maritz said.