Alwyn van Zyl (79) from Bad se Loop, between Modimolle (Nylstroom) and Mookgohong (Naboomspruit) became the third elderly farmer to be murdered within a week when his hands and feet were first tied with cloth before he was strangled on his bed on the night of 19 March, 2020, just before midnight.
His wife Rene (66) was also tied up but the attackers, at least 6 black males, only assaulted her but did not kill her.
Mrs Van Zyl slept in another room because Mr Van Zyl uses an oxygen mask at night. Mrs Van Zyl, who was tied up in her room, said the attackers demanded money and firearms. In the end they fled with small items like phones and clothing.
Mrs Van Zyl, who was not seriously injured but severely traumatized, managed to untie herself and walked about 300 meters to the house of a farm worker who called the children of Van Zyl.
Members of the Heritage Protection Group (HPG), a volunteer group, searched for the attackers the whole night in bushes on the farm after following their tracks.
This latest farm murder follows the brutal murder of Charles Hart (75) who was found beaten to death in his farm house in the Henderson area, Toise, between Cathcart and Stutterheim, EC on Sunday 15 March 2020.
Collin Leslie Britz (65) was also shot and killed by farm attackers in his farm house in the Elandskraal area, Dundee, KZN on Monday 16 March, 2020.
Neels Combrink (60) was also attacked on his farm at Niekerkshoop, Northern Cape on Wednesday 18 March, 2020 and tortured when he was burned with a hot clothes iron on his stomach.
In all these attacks large groups of black male attackers were involved and items like firearms and phones stolen.
Read about more farm attacks here
South Africa Today – South Africa News
Three elderly farmers slaughtered in one week in South Africa
