Frans Lourens van der Schyff

Frans van der Schyff (1937 – 2013)

Brief overview:

Frans (76), from the farm Môrester, and his 73-year old wife, Hennie were brutally attacked on 9 October 2013 during which Mrs van der Schyff sustained severe head injuries with an unknown object. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Despite the brutality of the attack, Mr van der Schyff was still alive when the couple was discovered. Frans was airlifted to Johannesburg where he was operated on in an attempt to relieve the cerebral hemorrhage which he sustained during the attack. He never regained consciousness after the operation and passed away on Friday evening 11 October shortly before 21:30.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
  • The couple is survived by two daughters and two sons – Amanda de Waal, Agatha Pretorius, Reinhardt and Frans van der Schyff Jnr.
• Funeral/Memorial
  • The funeral service in memory of Mr & Mrs van der Schyff was held on Monday the 21st of October 2013 at the NG Church Doringkruin in Klerksdorp.
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • The police recovered firearms stolen during the attack. The assailants looted the house, stealing their TV, the HiFi to the smallest of trinkets.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
  • The men suspected of committing this horrid act were arrested on a neighbouring farm within hours of the attack as the couple’s vehicle was spotted on the property.
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • The two suspects appeared in court on Monday and will remain in custody pending their next appearance on 6 November.

Additional Biographical Information:

Agatha, the couples daughter, said although her mother was small in posture, she was filled with love and kindness. Her dad was a big strong man; a pillar of strength for the whole family. Quintes Swanepoel (grandson) was the last family member to see the beloved couple alive as he visited them frequently and was supposed to visit them that very evening. Mr Swanepoel told the Platinum Weekly that his grandfather was his role-model.

“He raised me as his own son, he was a loving, caring person. He was always cheering us on, no matter what... I was so used to his calls; at least two to three phone calls each and every day,” Quintes told the Platinum and our conversations, only to remember that it will never happen again.” Quintes explained that he and his uncle (Frans jnr) intend to carry on with his grandfather’s farming and create a the farm of MôreSter to prosper and grow. “That’s what Granddad would have wanted.” Quintes also told us that the part which helps him process this violent crime and offers some kind of comfort at this time, is an old picture he still has and clings dearly to: a picture of his beloved grandfather cradling him in his hands when he was still an infant, and the idea that: “As my granddad was there for me when I was helpless and needed his protection and security, so I was able to hold his hand as he left this world, to offer some sort of comfort.

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.fo/dOU0y
• https://archive.is/KaTTx

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• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 4 2019, 17:51:41 UTC