A brutal farm attack in Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal, saw a couple bound, beaten with pangas and pistol-whipped at the hands of their attackers.
The men, who accosted Ricky Dinkelmann and his wife Rene when he returned to his workshop on Tuesday night, stole valuables and firearms.
Speaking to News24, Dinkelmann recounted the ordeal.
“I had arrived back at my workshop on the farm and I was met by people with guns who held me up. They proceeded to beat me and, when my wife heard the commotion and came to see what was happening, they accosted her as well,” he said.
“We think they were after firearms and money and they were searching my vehicle for my gun. From time to time they would hit us with the firearm on the head. I took quite a few blows to the head with the handgun that night.”
Bound with rope and electrical cable, the group stole items from the workshop. The couple was beaten and interrogated about the whereabouts of their valuables.
“One guy had gone inside the farm house and found the safe. They dragged us into the room and that is when they got really aggressive when we didn’t give them the key,”” he said.
A savage beating ensued, with the men striking the couple with their weapons and the blunt end of the long bush knife.
“We eventually decided to relinquish the key and they ransacked the safe. As soon as they had the key their whole demeanour changed and they left us tied up and fled.
“I managed to get free pretty quickly and got on to the farm watch radio and raised the alarm,” he said.
“The one guy looked like he was going to kill us at any moment and we were just huddling next to each other trying to remain calm.
“I reassured my wife and I think because we removed a lot of the panic from the situation, we came out battered and bruised but otherwise unharmed.”
“I know how lucky we were,” Dinkelmann said.
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