Joseph Bernard Kulelaphi (50) was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Wolmaransstad Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 19 June 2020, for house robbery, attempted murder and theft of motor vehicle. He will reappear on Tuesday, 23 June 2020. The accused appeared in court following a farm attack and house robbery committed on Friday, 12 June 2020 at about 19:30 on a farm in Leeudoringstad.
A 77-year-old farmer was allegedly overpowered by two suspects in his house, after they forced entry through a locked door. During the ordeal, the victim was hit with a panga on his head and tied-up. The suspects then took six firearms from a safe as well as a cellular phone and left the scene in the farmer’s Mercedes Benz.
The victim managed to free himself and made alarm, which alerted the police and emergency services to rush to the scene.
The farmer was admitted to hospital with serious head injuries, while the stolen vehicle was found a few hours later abandoned on the Leeudoringstad-Orkney Road.
Following an intensive investigation, a suspect was identified shortly after the attack and subsequently traced and apprehended on Wednesday, 17 June 2020 at his house on a farm in the Leeudoringstad area. All six stolen firearms were recovered. The police also found a .38 special revolver with a filed off serial number.
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena congratulated the police for a job well done and recovering the stolen firearms which he said were likely to be used to commit serious and violent crimes.
Read about more farm attacks here
South Africa Today – South Africa News
Farm attack, man admitted for brain scan after panga attack, Leeudoringstad
