The Democratic Alliance (DA) would like to express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Louis and Ina Cloete who lost their lives during a brutal farm attack early last night outside Levubu.
The elderly couple was fatally attacked and robbed by 2 suspects.
Afterwards the house was set alight. The smoke attracted the attention of a member of the farm watch, who on arrival saw the 2 suspects in Mr Cloete’s bakkie.
The suspects fled the scene and left firearms in the bakkie.
An extensive man hunt is currently underway to apprehend the suspects.
The farmers who put out the fire found the tied-up bodies of the couple in the house.
The DA’s plan for rural safety is a community-focused, “boots-on-the-ground” approach which includes the extensive use of technology and proposals for greater police visibility and support to neighbourhood watches and farm patrols to keep rural residents safe.
South Africa’s vulnerable rural communities need urgent, clear and decisive action that can no longer be delayed.
The DA will continue to lobby for an increase in rural safety so that farmers and farm workers enjoy protection so that they can shift their focus from their own safety to ensuring food security.