| The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo welcomes the swift reaction the SAPS after three armed suspects involved in a farm attack outside Dendron were apprehended in Polokwane early this morning. Two were arrested and one was shot dead. Around 01:00 this morning the three suspects broke into the farmhouse of an elderly couple in the Bylsteel area near Dendron. During the violent altercation the lady was raped and shot in the leg and her husband was seriously assaulted with pipes. They were taken to a hospital in Polokwane by helicopter and are in a serious, but stable condition. A 96 year old woman who was also in the house, was spared any physical injuries. We send our sincere well wishes to the couple and hope for their speedy and complete recovery. It is confirmed that the suspects robbed the household of their two-way radios used by the farmers in the area for emergencies and fled in the victims’ vehicle. Swift action by the SAPS and the community led to the suspects’ apprehension in Polokwane. In July 2020 Limpopo had 8 farm attacks and shared the highest number of incidents nationally with the Western Cape (8 farm attacks) and Gauteng (8 farm attacks). On 3 August 2020 the DA in Limpopo launched our Court Watching Brief specifically to assist victims and their families and to ensure that all cases are heard in court. Farm attacks are terrorising our rural areas and as long as the attackers get away with their crimes, the horror is just going to continue. With this initiative, the DA seeks to ensure that criminals end up behind bars as soon as possible and the violence comes to an end. We call on all South Africans to visit the DA’s websites at stopplaasaanvalle.co.za or stopfarmattacks.co.za and co-sign our open letter to President Ramaphosa, calling on him to address the plight of our farming communities. We will continue to monitor this incident and all other farm attacks to ensure that justice is served. |