Pieter van der Westhuizen

Pieter 'Piet' van der Westhuizen (+-1957 - 2022)

Brief overview:

Pieter, a farmer from the Vaalkop and Groot-Marico area, Zeerust, North West Province, was shot whilst responding to a call out for neighbouring farmer, Donald Seleka, on Friday 26th August between 21h00 and 22h00.

The neighbourhood watch was called when a group of attackers, believed to be around five, were robbing one of Donald Seleka's workers. "On the way to the farm, on the Rietvalleipad, a suspicious pick-up truck drove past the car in which Van der Westhuizen and another member of the neighborhood watch were driving. They turned and followed the van to see where it was going. The pick-up truck stopped and our guys stopped behind the bakkie,” said Sarel Pretorius, Agri-Northwest's chairman of safety and also a member of the community.

Pieter, who was with another farmer in the vehicle, was shot in the leg, but managed to shoot back killing one suspect and wounding another, the others got away.

Pieter was taken to the hospital in Zeerust where doctors attempted to save his life, but sadly he died at the hospital.

"According to Sarel Pretorius, the farmer who was in the car with Van der Westhuizen was severely traumatised and is currently receiving counselling at AfriForum's trauma unit. "We are all suffering from shock, but we expected it to happen at some point. Here it is not a question of 'if' you will be attacked, but 'when'."

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:

• https://archive.is/xZ3Gr
• https://archive.is/UlCh8
• https://archive.is/mqpL8
• https://archive.is/v8RpP