Four farmers were attacked in separate incidents in various areas of Mpumalanga since Thursday, police said on Sunday.
Police representative Captain Olga Ballot said in the first incident on Sunday, a suspect was shot and critically injured after allegedly breaking the window of a farmhouse in Hazy View.
”The complainant, 60-year-old Mr RM Joubert went outside to investigate shortly after hearing a noise. He then spotted the suspect and shot the suspect, allegedly in self-defence.”
Ballot said Joubert then informed police of the incident and the wounded man was admitted to a local hospital in a critical condition.
A wheel spanner was found in the suspected attacker’s possesion.
In a separate incident in Leslie, near Evander, a 43-year-old foreman at a poultry farm was robbed by two suspects on Saturday.
”Johannes Aphane (43) was busy at work when two males entered, pretending to buy eggs. They then overpowered Aphane and tied his hands and mouth with adhesive tape, and aimed a crossbow at him.”
Ballot said the victim was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and his firearm.
The suspects fled the scene on foot. Aphane later identified one of the suspects and he was arrested. The 23-year-old man will appear in court soon.
The other suspect is still at large. The victim was uninjured during the robbery.
In the third incident in Witbank, a 38-year-old man was making coffee in the kitchen on his smallholding when he heard someone tampering with his security gate.
”Johann Terreblanche (38) asked who was at the door and a suspect said that he wanted to kill a Mr Terreblanche. The victim then went to his bedroom and returned to the kitchen with his firearm. He warned the suspects that he was armed and the suspects apparently continued to force open the kitchen door.”
Ballot said Terreblanche fired shots at the door and when he looked out of his kitchen window, he two suspects fleeing the scene and jumping over the wall.
”Police were informed of the incident and the body of a man, believed to be one of the suspects, was found a few metres from the scene with gunshot wounds.”
The other suspect is still at large.
An 84-year-old farmer narrowly escaped death during an attack on his farm outside Delmas on Thursday afternoon.
Ballot said the victim, a Mr P Overburg was about to take his dog for a walk when the animal started barking.
”Overburg walked around the house and noticed a man standing near the house. The suspect took out a firearm and fired shots at the victim. Overburg managed to run back to his house and contacted the police.”
Ballot said the suspect fled the scene. Police found a room outside the house broken into. – Sapa