In a violent farm attack an hour felt like a day for Mike Bonnett (70), a missionary farmer from the midvaal area Meyerton, Gauteng.
After being very severely assaulted and hospitalised, he told the story to Maroela media.
He said that his wife Margaret had left for church before him and when he left at 09:20 to also attend church three black men attacked him whilst he was closing the gate. He said someone grabbed him from behind and when he started wrestling with the man he saw two other attackers in front of him. One of them pointed a firearm at him and then hit him over the head with it. “The blood was running down my face and i started feeling dizzy.”
The violently forced him back to the house insisting that he open the safe and that he give them money. After trying to explain that he didn’t have a safe nor much money, but offered them what he did have, they put on the kettle and asked where the iron was. “You will learn to talk” they said.
He was then forced into the lounge where the attackers pulled a cord from one of the lamps and tied it around his neck. All the while asking where the safe was. One of the attackers kept on choking him whilst the other two ransacked the house looking for valuables and a safe. After attempting unsuccessfully to remove his wedding ring they threatened to cut off his finger but after some soap was applied luckily is came off. “You are still not talking” they said. One of them prepared an electrical cable by removing the end covering with his teeth, exposing the copper. During this ongoing assault they kept making comments like “You stole our land.”
The attacker wrapped the exposed cables around his ankles and as he was going to plug it in Mr Bonnett moved his legs causing the wires to come loose. The attacker got violent and tied his legs tightly together and the cables as well so that he could not move them. By the grace of God the main switch tripped which in turn also put the kettle off and activated an alarm connected to the community police forum (CPF).
They then tied his hands and continued brutally assaulting him, they got the kettle and pored the water over him, fortunately it was only luke warm at this stage.
“God had his hand over me the entire time as miracle after miracle occured, they then forced me to the bathroom where they said they were going to shoot me. The one attacker showed me the ammunition he was going to use and ordered the other two away saying that they don’t need to him kill The white bastard.”
The other two attackers went to load all the stolen household items onto Mr Bonnett’s bakkie and his granddaughters small poodle started barking. He told the attacker that the CPF was there and this caused him to abandon the shooting and flee. Amazingly one of the CPF members had arrived and the three attackers fled with his bakkie.
Mr.Bonnett took over a missionary school in 1980 that accommodates about 300 learners and has a small church. And his farm provides work for many locals.
The attack was strongly condemned by Kobus Hofman of the FF Plus in the article below.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Maroela Media
South Africa Today – South Africa News
Gruesome attack, ‘farmer was a community upliftment activist’
