A farm murder took place on 20 November 2022, in the Seven Oaks area near Greytown in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. An elderly couple were brutally tortured in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulting in the death of the 84 year old man due to his injuries.
A spate of house robberies have been occurring in the Bishopstowe, Wartburg, New Hanover and Dalton areas in the past few months. Magma Security and Investigations were then mandated to investigate the farm attack and murder.
On Monday 28 November 2022, members from Magma Security and Investigations received information of a possible farm attack that was to take place in the Bulwer area by the same group of suspects involved in the abovementioned case.
An operational team was put together comprising Magma Security and Investigations, PMB K9 and PMB Trio Task Team.
On Tuesday morning at approximately 01:00 the said suspects were spotted travelling in two vehicles in the Boston area going towards Impendle.
After a brief chase a shoot-out ensued as a result of the suspects opening fire at the operational team, where two suspects were fatally wounded and six were arrested.
Two flat screen tv’s, a laptop, kettle, bag, cellphone and jewellery were recovered as well as a firearm, knives, crowbar, cellphones, gloves and balaclavas.
All exhibits were handed in at Impendle SAPS.
The police report on the attack and murder read as follows:
On 20 November 2022 at 02:00, Greytown police received a report of a house robbery and murder on a farm at Seven Oaks. On arrival at the scene they found the body of Hans Jurie Venter (84); his house was ransacked and some of his belongings such as a television, laptop, jewellery and cellphone were stolen.
The victim was suffocated and strangled to death.
Charges of murder and robbery were opened for investigation.
In the early hours of 29 November 2022, Greytown police, the Pietermaritzburg K9 Unit and the Pietermaritzburg Trio Task Team and Magma Security embarked on an intelligence operation after they received information on the whereabouts of the suspects involved in the murder and robbery.
They proceeded to the Boston area where they spotted the eight suspects travelling in two vehicles towards Impendle. When confronted the armed men opened fire at police officers and a shootout ensued during the high speed chase.
Two suspects were fatally wounded while six aged between 22 and 38 were arrested for murder, robbery and attempted murder.
Two flat screen televisions, a cellphone and jewellery belonging to Venter were recovered as well as a firearm, knives, a crowbar, gloves and balaclavas. The suspects will also be profiled to check if they are linked to other serious and violent cases reported in Greytown and surrounding areas.
Read about more farm attacks here
Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid
South Africa Today – South Africa News
