Thomas Ferreira

Thomas Ferreira (1957 – 2011)

Brief overview:

Thomas (54), co-owner of Tom’s Place resort south of Bloemfontein, was shot twice in the chest during a robbery. The three attackers then tied him up.

The murder was committed on his farm Riversford at Tierpoort, near Tom’s Place, on 27 November 2011. Ferreira died while seeking help from neighbours

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
  • Ferreira is survived by his wife, Dr. Marita Ferreira, a lecturer in Afrikaans at the Central University of Technology, his daughter, Roux-Cil (22), and a son, Thomas jr. (27).
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • Apparently Thomas was killed for the sake of a cellphone, which was the only property 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
  • Thabang (Thabo) Mabule (49), Johannes Mafeku (36), Hendrik van Schalkwyk (34), and Roger Siyate (35), appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on charges of murder and robbery,
  • van Schalkwyk and Siyale were sentenced to life for murder and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances. A third man, Gilford Mahlakamatsa (40), also received a life sentence for murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and another 15 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Additional Biographical Information:

Thomas Ferreira was one of the farmers of the Tierpoort area, who owned two adjacent farms, Vaalbank and Bekkersfontein. On Bekkersfontein he built lovely cottages overlooking the Tierpoort Dam. These soon became favourites for people looking for a break away and those who need an overnight stop on a long trip.
When the nearby N1 national road was built, Bekkersfontein was subdivided. The area where Tom’s Place Resort is situated today, was called Waterkant. Due to the popularity of the cottages, more accommodation options have been added in the form of chalets and camping grounds.
Today Tom’s Place is a favourite resort of many travellers. We have many guests who like to escape the busy cities and visit us for the peaceful outdoor setting. We are also a convenient stop over for many tourists who make long trips on the N1.
From: *http://archive.fo/5wC4N

Links to Media articles:

• http://archive.fo/bsS72
• https://archive.is/7XT4u
• https://archive.ph/1WieZ
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120108164657/http://www.volksblad.com...