Pieter Gerardus Vermooten

Pieter Vermooten (1947 – 2007)

Brief overview:

Pieter (58), was shot dead on 26th June in his own home by one of several overall-clad men allegedly from Lesotho.

"But the Molls aren’t the exception. About 25km away, I had visited Pieter Vermooten (58) on his 1000ha border farm, Sekonyela, weeks before he was murdered in 2007. He had described how rampant theft, illegal grazing and arson were affecting him."

"In the wake of his father’s murder, Hennie Vermooten returned to build a life on the family farm. Today little seems to have changed on Sekonyela – besides the fact that Hennie’s father is gone. He explains that no arrests have been made in connection with his father’s murder, and that theft on Sekonyela has escalated with 350 sheep, 50 cattle and 30 calves having been stolen in the past year. He tells of thieves stealing submersible pumps and stripping maize cobs with unrestrained arrogance. “They come and pick peaches in front of my house!” he fumes. “They have no respect for your privacy.”"

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
  • Ficksburg, NG Kerk
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)
  • Vermooten had told Tony Leon and a DA delegation on his farm, in October the previous year, that he would not continue much longer with farming due to the deteriorating security situation in the area.
  • A total of 55 farm people have been killed in attacks on Free State farms since 2000. Of these, 8 were in 2005 and 18 in 2006.

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • R30,000 and a 9mm pistol from Vermooten's safe.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
  • Several overall-clad men
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
  • Allegedly from Lesotho
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

• Official cause of death : Unnatural (BDR 221/2007)
• https://graves-at-eggsa.org/main.php?g2_itemId=5424272

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.fo/BViVG
• https://archive.is/YwHqh
• https://tinyurl.com/y2rqgeqa
• https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000102744190921