CHRISTIAN FIGENSCHOU, Johannesburg | Monday 9.00am.
TWO more farmers were murdered in criminal attacks this weekend, prompting the Democratic Party to call for urgent action by government to adress the crisis.
On Saturday, a retired Spoornet worker, Andre Stander (65) was murdered on his farmstead in Dysseldorp near Oudtshoorn in the southern Cape. Police spokesman Sergeant David Masolo said Stander, who bought the farmstead on his retirement but was not involved in farming, was attacked by two men who stabbed him in the left side of his body and battered him around the face and head with a heavy object.
As neighbour, Neels Slabbert, then arrived to visit Stander and threatened to shoot the attackers, whereupon they fled. Police assisted by farmers in the area immediately launched a search for the suspects but called it off at nightfall because of the dense bush and mountainous area. The search resumed early on Monday. Stander is survived by his wife, Ansie, 65, who was at church at the time of the attack.
Also on Saturday, bedridden dairy farmer George Wylie (76) was shot dead in his bed by two armed men, who then stole four firearms, including an automatic rifle.
Wylie’s son Peter heard the attackers’ gunshots but was shot at when he went to investigate, but was not injured. The attackers forced him to hand over keys to the gun safe, removed the weapons, then fled in the family’s VW Fox car.
Police responded quickly and found the car abandoned near the Hlalani shanty town, but had to abandon their search in the densely populated camp. Police spokesperson Captain Thami Nqai said police are following strong leads and arrests are expected soon.
Following Wylie’s murder, Democratic Party Grahamstown MP Errol Moorcroft called for Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi to resign, saying, “Mufamadi has done little or nothing to ensure the safety and security of citizens and should resign immediately.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Party Mpumalanga leader Clive Hatch on Sunday urged President Nelson Mandela to announce the date of the proposed summit on farm killings without delay. Several farmers were murdered in the province last week.
Said Hatch: “This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue. The government owes it to all South African citizens to end this anarchy.”
He referred to the DP’s policy document Urgent Action for Rural Safety, which proposes granting emergency powers to security forces in “hot-spot” areas, greater co-ordination of the resources of the security forces and greater use of part-time forces of the SA National Defence Force, including random roadblocks and support for victims of farm attacks.
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