Another farm attack near East London! Farmer tortured!

Supplied by: Klaas Prinsloo of the White Cross Monument

Eastern Cape East London – 3 unknown men turned up on foot on the farm Mooiplaas between East London and Komga on 20 January at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon to check on hunting dogs that the farmer was breeding. The farmer offered that they jump on the back of his Land Cruiser, that they could ride to the dog cages. Vegetables and dogs are farmed on the farm.

The victim was at home after lunch and was resting a bit when the 3 suspects arrived. The victim’s son had already returned to the fields to continue farming.

When the victim got out of his vehicle, he was surprised with a firearm to his head, during which 5 more suspects emerged. The 8 suspects tied up the victim and ordered him to hand over his safe’s key. He told them that the safe’s key was with his wife and that she was not currently on the farm.

The attackers kicked and punched the victim and threatened to slit his throat if he did not hand over his safe’s key. He answered them in their own language Xhosa, saying he did not have the safe’s key with him! He also said that they should just do what they want to do because he doesn’t have the key.

They put him in a bathtub and flipped open the hot water tap and put a cloth or a towel over his face. They ran the hot water over his covered face so he couldn’t catch his breath. They still kicked and punched him.

They threatened that they were going to take a chainsaw and saw off his arms one by one until he told them where the safe’s key was.

After that, the attackers ripped the safe off the wall and drove away with his Land Cruiser and the eldest son’s van. The boy was in the fields loading vegetables with the truck during the incident.

They left the victim tied up and locked some of the workers in a cold room. After he got loose, he informed his son what had happened after which the boy called out a distress call. The standby structures were activated. The suspects were pursued and according to reports, 2 of the 8 attackers were caught.

The Land Cruiser was found on the N2 at the Beacon Bay exit in East London. One suspect ran away but they caught the driver. The boy’s van was also recovered abandoned in East London.

The safe with the firearms was still on the back of the Land Cruiser’s body and was also recovered.

The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment and his condition is steady… The question involuntarily arises as to why the attackers were only interested in the weapons vault and did not loot anything else.