Provincial police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele, tells OFM News the farm worker, Fred Kutewesa, was alone at the Thornriver farmhouse on Monday evening when the suspects trespassed and accosted him.

Makhele says the farm worker was having supper when the two men attempted to break down the door to the farmhouse at around 19:20.

It’s reported that Kutewesa contacted the owner of the farm regarding the situation, before he was assaulted and struck on the forehead with a stick. Despite this, he managed to escape and hide until help arrived. The suspects fled the scene with the farm worker’s cell phone, clothing, groceries and passport.

The incident was reported to police on Tuesday. Police request residents in the Virginia area, who have any information on the incident or the suspects, to come forward.

In July, the National Police Commissioner, Moeketsi Sempe, was reported as saying between January and March, there were 80 farm attacks, while between April and June, 48 farm attacks were recorded. When the crime statistics were eventually released nearly two weeks ago, it was revealed that overall 49 farm murders were recorded during the 2019/20 financial year, nationally - an increase of two cases as compared to the previous financial year.

The Free State and Eastern Cape accounts for 24 of these cases. The vast majority of murders and attempted murders in the province were committed with knives.

When the crime statistics for the 2018/19 financial year were released almost a year ago, Members of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police cast doubt on the farm murder figures. Head of police crime research and statistics, Norman Sekhukhune, announced in his presentation there were 47 farm murders in 41 incidents, something which Freedom Font Plus Member of Parliament, Pieter Groenewald, wanted more clarity on from Police Minister Bheki Cele.

Cele did not elaborate much on the issue of the farm murder figures in his response. He did, however express concern regarding the overall 3,4% murder rate spike, and added that there was a time when crime in the country, wasn’t this bad.

OFM News