Matilda Pope

Matilda "Tillie" Pope (1967 - 2014)

Brief overview:

Matilda (47) and her husband, Brian Charles Pope (61), were staying at Tweevley Guest Farm near Harrismith, when they were shot dead, in their bed, in the early hours of Sunday 20th April 2014. The perpetrator emptied the gun magazine into the couple, bar one bullet. The Popes, along with their son, Warren, his wife Marlene (both in their 30's), and two grandchildren (1 and 4 years old), were staying on the guest farm for the Easter weekend. Warren, sleeping in the room next door, was beaten with a chair and stabbed in the neck with a garden fork. His wife, Marlene, was shot in the arm, with the remaining bullet.

After Warren collapsed outside, the attacker went back into the room and continued to beat Marlene with a pole, and forced her and the two children into the family car. He drove a few kilometres down the farm road to his lodgings to fetch his own wife and baby. Marlene took the opportunity to escape, and managed to jump into the driver’s seat and, despite her shattered arm, drove away. The brutal attack left Brian and Matilda dead, Warren in critical condition in hospital, and Marlene in hospital with a fractured skull and broken arm. The children were left unharmed, but tramatised.

The perpetrator, a Malawian (32), who worked at the guest farm, escaped into the bushes that night. Sergeant Mmako Mophiring, spokesman for the Free State police said, “We put the area under observation and waited for him. He stayed in hiding for about 12 hours, but then, when he thought the police were gone, and came back to the guest lodge, probably to finish the job, we were there waiting for him, like a lion waits for its prey, and immediately arrested him.” “We can’t say it was a robbery because nothing was taken. We don’t know what led to the attack.” He has been charged with murder and attempted murder and is expected to appear in the Harrismith Magistrate’s Court.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.is/fmmsB
• http://archive.is/Kl9KU
• https://archive.ph/mkyTu
• https://archive.ph/Z3jJz