In yet another farm attack in the Soutpansberg, a 51-year-old man was shot and killed by an unidentified gunman last Friday evening.

Since the beginning of May, farmers and farm workers in the Beja/Piesanghoek area along the Louis Trichardt/Thohoyandou road have been plagued by two gunmen on a violent crime spree. Their reign of terror follows a break-in at a police official´s home on the Rietvlei smallholdings west of Louis Trichardt some two months ago, during which a .303 hunting rifle was stolen.

On May 5, a roadside café on the farm Vygeboomsdrift was targeted and ransacked. That same evening, the pig farm along the Elim road was robbed. Ten days later, a group of farm workers was robbed at gunpoint on the farm of Mr De Wet van Wyk, and on May 25, a farm worker was overpowered, again on the farm Vygeboomsdrif. Fortunately, the farmer’s alarm system deterred the attackers. The same attackers apparently then tried to break into the Marandela milk stall on the neighbouring farm that same evening, but without success. There was, however, a successful break-in at the farm office of Mr Gilbert Gerhard, also on the same evening.

Eyewitnesses all described their attackers as two men armed with a hunting rifle.

As time passed, the attacks became more violent. On May 28, the two gunmen targeted the farm Nooitgedacht. During the attack, the farm owner, Mr Jan Louw (49), as well as the 19-year-old Mr Ferdie Landman, barely escaped certain death. Louw was stabbed at least 15 times during the attack, while Landman also sustained several stab wounds.

Two days later, another group of farm workers was robbed at gunpoint on the farm Elandspruit. Once again the description of the attackers matched that of the two gunmen with the hunting rifle. The two were at it again on June 1, when they overpowered a domestic worker on the farm Palmietfontein and ransacked the farm house.

At that stage, it had become clear that it was just a matter of time before the gunmen started killing people. Unfortunately, this fear became a reality when somebody was murdered last Friday evening. The 51-year-old Mr Eric Neshunzhi was brutally killed when an unidentified man walked into his home on the farm Goedehoop and shot him at point-blank range.

The police were, however, quick to point out that Friday’s murder is not necessarily connected to the other cases involving the two gunmen as a shotgun was used to kill Mr Neshunzhi. They are, however, investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing.

This is not good news for an already terrorized community, as it means there could now be two armed gunmen running amok in the area. It has also come to light that the two gunmen with the .303 rifle had split up, with the man with the hunting rifle now operating alone.

In response to Friday’s killing and the violent crime wave in the area over the past two months, Mr Frits Ahrens, chairman of the Louis Trichardt Farmer’s Association, responded by saying the farming community was on high alert.

“We are alert but concerned that no arrests have been made. Why is it that when a police commissioner´s home is broken into, as was the case last week in Pretoria, the police can make seven arrests within 48 hours? But not here. It’s been two months and still no arrests,” Ahrens said. He added that the farming community was not seeing any willingness from the local police to make arrests.

Local police spokesperson Capt Maano Sadike responded by saying this was not the case. “The police view these incidents in a very serious light and are as always committed to the safety of all citizens, whether it is in urban or rural areas,” Sadike said. He added that a special task team had been appointed to focus exclusively on these incidents and the suspects involved.

“They are currently working day and night in trying to track them down,” Sadike said. He also said, however, that the police could not operate in isolation and without the assistance from the communities around the area.

“Anybody with information about the whereabouts or movement of the suspects is requested to contact their nearest police station. The suspects should, however, be considered armed and dangerous and should not be confronted,” Sadike said.