One of four alleged attackers were killed and three are still missing after an attack on a farm on the Vivo road near Louis Trichardt on Friday July 10, 2015.
Lappies Labuschagne, a medical practitioner, his wife, daughter, son in law with their 16-year-old boy lives on the farm.
Labuschagne told Polokwane Observer on Tuesday that attackers already had broken in at the farmhouses three times the last two weeks, prior to Friday’s incident.
He suspects the attacks are fueled by the fact that he dismissed two Zimbabweans some time ago due to incidents of theft on his hunting farm in Alldays. Shortly thereafter there was a robbery in the thatched house and almost all valuables in the house were destroyed.
Then two robberies occurred at his daughter and son-in-law, Freddy Harris’s thatched cottage and the same modus operandi, to get in through the thatched roof, was followed.
“The first time all of my grandson’s clothes and valuables, like his knives, were stolen. The second time they destroyed a safe, which was enclosed with concrete, with an axe and stole a 9mm handgun. All the hunting rifles were destroyed.”
During a break-in at Labuschagne’s house outside Louis Trichardt, valuables were stolen and goods destroyed. His wife returned from town, unaware that the attackers allegedly detained two employees and waited for her in the garage.
“We have never had a housekeeper for over 30 years, but the housekeeper who was with us for almost three weeks, probably saved my wife’s life by screaming and thereby warned my wife. She ran away and the attackers apparently realized that my wife would call for help and they fled.”
Just over a week later, the two families decided to go out on Friday night to a restaurant. They were barely in the restaurant when they were notified that the alarm went off in the house. The group realized that there were problems on the farm and rushed back.
Harris and his son were first on the scene. There were two robbers in the house and the one in the hallway stormed Harris, who was in the kitchen. He shot the robber.
“The CCTV footage showed that four men were involved. Two were outside and ran away, and two were in the house. The other one who was also in the house got away,” said Labuschagne.
The houses’ alarm systems have been upgraded and Labuschagne is busy to install strong steel gates.
“My wife does not want to go to town, she is afraid to come home,” he said.
Ronel Otto, provincial police spokesperson said no one has been arrested in connection with the attacks and the search for the alleged attackers continues.
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