Vida Louisa Rafferty

Vida Rafferty (1960 - 2020)

Brief overview:

Vida (60), and her husband Glen Rafferty (63), cattle farmers, were ambushed at the entrance of their farm in the Normandien area, and shot dead on 29th August 2020 at around 22h30 when arriving home. The perpetrators also shot dead the couples dog.

The murderers then fled in the couples vehicle, which was found abandoned on the N11 between Newcastle and Ladysmith. Forensic teams are were at the scene taking fingerprints and collecting data in the hope that the perpetrators can be traced.

Police attended the murder scene at around 06:00 on Sunday 30th August. The suspects ransacked the house, cameras were destroyed and a camera control was taken," said Captain Nqobile Gwala.

Extract from media report"

"Newcastle Mayor, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba has said he is ‘saddened and shocked by the unprovoked killing’ of local couple, Glen and Vida Rafferty at their farm in the Normandien area. “I condemn this gruesome atrocity and I am calling upon law enforcement agencies to apprehend the perpetrators as soon as possible!”

"Cllr Mahlaba described the Rafferty’s as ‘progressive people who cared deeply for the community of Newcastle’. “They were both affectionately loved and admired for their contribution towards the betterment of our society. Glen and Vida understood the culture and tradition of our municipality. Their untimely deaths are a huge loss for our community, and the farming fraternity in particular.” He added that the killing of farmers and their workers should be denounced with the contempt that it deserves at all times."

“I urge anyone with information which might lead to the arrest of the suspects, to contact their nearest police station immediately,” he pleaded. Cllr Mahlaba further implored farmers and farm workers to be extra vigilant and report suspicious activities to the police."

16/20/2020 - Five more arrests have made. One appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate's Court on two counts of murder and was subsequently identified as Siyabonga Goodman Macu by the National Prosecuting Authority.

19/10/2020 - A second suspect arrested. Doctor Vikani Ngwenya (20), appeared in the Newcastle magistrates court. Adjourned to 26 October for a bail investigation, police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said. Three others have been released while another suspect remains in custody.

Update 15/11/2020: "This week, their farming implements and livestock were auctioned and their farm leased. Tamsyn Rafferty, the couple’s daughter-in-law who lives in Cape Town, said they were still coping with their loss. She said the family had decided to evacuate the farm."

“It is such a difficult situation but we are getting stronger with the support from the farming community. The eldest brother who inherited the farm won’t be farming anymore, he is renting it out. He just wants to take a different direction from farming for now. This shows that we are deeply hurting. We miss them (Glen and Vida) so much. We think about them every day,” she said."

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
  • firearm
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
  • 5+
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • 16/20/2020 - Five more arrests have made. One appeared in the Newcastle Magistrate's Court on two counts of murder and was subsequently identified as Siyabonga Goodman Macu by the National Prosecuting Authority.
  • 19/10/2020 - A second suspect arrested. Doctor Vikani Ngwenya (20), appeared in the Newcastle magistrates court. Adjourned to 26 October for a bail investigation, police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said. Three others have been released while another suspect remains in custody.
  • 03/03/2021: Sizwe Tell Zwane (33) was twice sentenced to 25 years in prison. Zwane was also sentenced to a further ten years in prison on one charge of robbery. The sentences will be served concurrently. He was convicted and sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg High Court after pleading guilty. Zwane is the third suspect to be arrested for the double farm murder. His two co-accused were already arrested on October 15 last year and are awaiting trial. According to Police spokeperson, Jay Naicker, the possibility of further arrests cannot be ruled out.
  • 16/11/2022: Doctor Fikane Ngwenya and Sibongiseni Madondo were found guilty on two counts of murder, burglary with intent to steal, theft and aggravated robbery. Siyabonga Macu, died before he could testify. They were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Additional Biographical Information:

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.is/5OTzj
• https://archive.is/Zot1I
• https://archive.is/v7Z0M
• https://archive.is/E1HzI
• https://archive.is/LQkas
• https://archive.is/Rb61y
• https://youtu.be/2M-C_fJXuCM (eNCA News Report)
• https://archive.is/8nAvy
• https://archive.is/rS7wk
• https://archive.is/ur6Yv
• https://archive.is/ic8rr
• https://web.archive.org/web/20220920201456/https://www.iol.co.za/ne...
• https://archive.ph/wkPtD
• https://archive.ph/vZlMg

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Nov 17 2022, 19:14:06 UTC