Farm murder: Farmer (80) found brutally murdered in his home, Dwarsfontein

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Farm murder: Farmer (80) found brutally murdered in his home, Dwarsfontein
Farm murder: Farmer (80) found brutally murdered in his home, Dwarsfontein

A farm murder took place during the night of 15 November or the early hours of 16 November 2022, on a farm in the Dwarsfontein area near Delmas, in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa.

Hennie van der Walt (80) and his life partner Hester Smal (79), who suffers from Alzheimer’s, were attacked in their farmhouse.

An unknown number of attackers gained entry to the home by breaking a window.

It was reported that when employees could not gain entry into the farmhouse, they contacted the farmer’s daughter who immediately contacted the police who swiftly attended to the complaint, and after consultation with family members, the door was forced open.

They were met with the unharmed but shocked 79-year-old victim.

The search continued and the lifeless body of the 80-year-old Hennie Van Der Walt was found in the back bedroom with multiple wounds on the stomach. Preliminary investigation suggests that he sustained a gunshot wound and suspected multiple stab wounds.

The house appears to have been ransacked, CCTV PVR was damaged and the safe opened. Police also discovered spent cartridge, live ammunition in the house as well as in the vegetable garden.

Bloodstained footprints were also noticed and a safe from the house was allegedly stolen but later found opened in the nearby bushes a few meters from the house.

Currently, police cannot rule out the possibility that firearm(s) and other items could have been stolen during the tragic incident.

The police are investigating but there have been no arrests.

There is no other information available at this stage.

Meanwhile the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has condemned the attack on senior citizens who were striving to feed the nation with their farm products.

The General added that attacking a farmer is more like encouraging hunger to community members.

Read about more farm attacks here

Information supplied by Oorgrens veiligheid

SAPS Newsroom

South Africa Today – South Africa News

SOURCEOorgrens veiligheid