“Farm Murders” 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018

TAU 2017/18 "official" figures: 70 Murders from 418 Attacks

• https://africacheck.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FINANCIAL-STATS-...

SAPS 2017/18 "official" figures: 62 Murders from 561 Attacks

The South African Police Service, during their press briefing, released updated figures for the number of recorded farm murders (though not attacks) for 2017/18. The SAPS presentation stated that there were, in fact, 62 farm murders during 58 attacks, not 47 as widely reported. Of those murdered, 52 were the owners or occupiers of the farm/smallholding, 9 were farm workers and one was a farm manager. 42 murders took place on farms, 15 on smallholdings and one at a cattle post.

• link to SAPS presentation
• link to Africa Check article

There are 69 Victims remembered in this project

• This figure includes 2 couples (farmer and wife) between 20/08/2017 - 20/09/2017
• 41 Victims were aged between 60 - 87
• 45 Farmers in Total
• 28 Farmers – Commercial
• 10 Farm Commercial employees (Managers/Foreman/Workers)
• 4 Farmers – Informal
• 7 Farmers - Retired

Definition of a Farm Attack

The National Priority Committee for Rural Safety defines a Farm Attack as follows: Acts of violence against farms and smallholdings are those acts aimed at any person or persons living on, working at or visiting farms or smallholdings with the intent to either murder, rape, rob or otherwise inflict bodily harm or to intimidate. It is important to note that cases of domestic violence and/or crimes caused by a dispute between family and/or friends are not included in the definition of a farm attack.

Thus the definition of “Farm Murders” specifically EXCLUDES “Social Fabric Crimes”, for example: see Names at bottom of page: (Victims that do not fit the strict definition of a Farm Attack)

Therefore when murder rates are compared, Other Social Fabric Crimes should also be excluded... (To use the German term “Raubmord”- murder committed in an aggravated robbery)

StatsSA’s 2016 Community Survey did produce estimates of the size of that section of the white population that is affected by farm attacks. It found that there were 47 218 white-headed households engaged in some kind of agricultural activities on “farm land” – including both commercial farm land and small holdings. Of these 24 959 were involved in commercial agriculture and 11 007 were small holders.
30 out of 24 959, Gives a Commercial Farmer Murder Rate of: 120/100000

The “Raubmord” rate for the population as a whole would be in the vicinity of 12 per 100 000 for all aggravated robberies, and 4 per 100 000 for home and business robberies (combined). (See “Farm murders: Fact-checking the fact-checkers” by James Myburgh)

What this boils down to is Commercial Farmers are 30 times more at risk than average South Africans from being killed in the event of an aggravated robbery in their homes or on their farms.. In 2012/13 financial year, 84 police officials out of a total of 155,531 were murdered. That is a ratio of 54 per 100 000. Commercial Farmers are more than 2 times at risk than Policemen.

This points to the fact that Farmers are being targeted in high numbers way out of proportion to the size of their community, and gives credence to those who believe that white farmers are the victims of a 25 year ongoing terrorist campaign to drive them from disputed land.

2017 April

• Peet van Es (55) 11/04/2017 Moseley Farm, Barberton, MP (tortured, stabbed to death) external link
• [Male Victim] (58) 12/04/2017 smallholding Cullinan area, outside Pretoria, GP (beaten to death) media article
• Klein Harmse (87) 19/04/2017 Modderfontein Farm, Vanderbijlpark, GP (tortured, savagely beaten) external link
• Tsietso Matsabisa (57) 20/04/2017 Pharoasfontein Farm, Wepener, FS (shot dead) external link
• Pieter Johannes van den Berg (49) 20/04/2017 Pharoasfontein Farm, Wepener, FS (shot dead) external link
• Dirk du Randt (67) 22/04/2017 Farm Elim, Ladybrand, FS (tied up, stabbed, throat slit) external link

May

• Pranesh Namnath (22) 01/05/2017 Hibiscus Coast, KZN (shot and killed) external link
• Joe Thompson (?) 05/05/2017 Plot, Henley on Klip, outside Alberton, GP (tortured, stabbed 163 times) (multiple murder - mother-in-law, un-named, kicked and strangled) FB Link
• Michael Kernick (64) 10/05/2017 Tatoon Farm, Bulwer, KZN (stabbed with garden fork, set alight) external link
• Grietn Mahlangu (78) 12/05/2017 Roossenekal, Groblersdal, LP (brutally beaten, stabbed) external link
• Barend Christian Greyling (59) 16/05/2017 Leeukuil farm, Sannieshof, NW (shot dead) external link
• Albert Janse van Rensburg "Bert" (67) 25/05/2017 Rayton, GP (shot execution style) external link

June

• Sibusiso Jojisa (60) 01/06/2017 KwaJali, Harding, KZN (shot in the chest) external link
• Robert Turner "Oki" (66) 14/06/2017 Cheerio Gardens, Magoebaskloof, Haenertsburg, LP (tortured, shot upper leg, beaten to death) external link
• Hanno Steyn (47) 16/06/2017 Hibernia Farm, Lichtenburg, NW (assaulted, executed) external link
• Bafana Mohami (32) 17/06/2017 Rooikraal, Heidelberg, GP (shot, died in hospital) external link
• Dries Schoeman (70) 21/06/2017 Waterval Boven, MP (hacked, bound, beaten, died 09/07/2017) external link
• Patrick Itumeng (68) 30/06/2017 Vryburg, NW (shot and killed) external link

July

• Elsa Erasmus (74) 02/07/2017 Schweizer-Reneke, NW (hands tied behind back, shot, executed) external link
• Dries Botha (57) 04/07/2017 Brits, NW (shot, died a week later on 09/0/2017) external link
• Jason Winrow (47) 28/07/2017 Bare Acres Farm, Donga Creak, Stutterheim, EC (shot , stabbed) external link
• Dennis Gawler "Bob" (88) 28/07/2017 De Mist, Glendale Heights, KZN (beaten, before being shot) external link

August

• [Male Victim] (30) 04/08/2017 Rietfontein smallhoding, Muldersdrift, GP (shot multiple times in his upper body) external link
• Herman Botha (64) 06/08/2017 Kameeldoring, Polokwane, LP (beaten with a steel pipe, died from heart attack) external link
• Vic Cook (75) 17/08/2017 Potchefstroom, NW (tortured with hot oil then stabbed) external link
• Anton Smuts (64) 19/08/2017 Kinross and Leandra, MP (shot then burnt in his bakkie) external link
• Arno Niehaus (53) 19/08/2017 Big Creek Lodge, Moon Bay, EC (strangled) external link
• Piet van Zyl (68) 20/08/2017 Immerpan, Roedtan, LP (shot dead) external link
• Matilda van Zyl (66) 20/08/2017 Immerpan, Roedtan, LP (shot dead) external link

September

• Cecil Petersen (83) 13/09/2017 Bela-Bela, Modimolle, LP (shot in the face, passed 26/10/2017) external link
• Pattie Petersen (73) 13/09/2017 Bela-Bela, Modimolle, LP (shot in the stomach) external link
• Craig Smith (70) 15/09/2017 Arniside, Mid Illovo, KZN (bludgeoned to death with a walking stick) external link
• Werner Emslie (Dr.) (55)18/09/2017 Lephalale, LP (shot and killed) external link

October

• Jacobus Hendrikus Van Wyk (69) 13/10/2017 Smallholding outside Potchefstroom, NW external link additional link
• Mark Fagan (46) 13/10/2017 Philadelphia near Melkbosstrand, WC (shot dead) external link
• Kyle Stols (22) 22/10/2017 Hatari Game Farm, Jagersfontein, FS (shot in chest and killed) external link
• Joubert Conradie (47) 24/10/2017 Uitkyk Farm, Klapmuts, WC (shot, passed during surgery) external link
• Sharon Bester (52) 28/10/2017 Zout van de Aarde, Albertinia, WC (strangled to death) external link
• Barry Baars (49) 30/10/2017 Daskop, Ficksburg, FS (shot in the head) external link
• Bokkie Potgieter (73) 30/10/2017 Gelukstad, Vryheid, KZN (hacked with a panga) external link
• Willem van der Westhuizen (35) 31/10/2017 Bonteheuwel, Griquatown, NC (shot in the head) external link
• Willie Barnard (55) 31/10/2017 Jagersbosch, Fochville, GP (shot dead) external link

November

• Elizabeth Kotze (73) 02/11/2017 Lichtenburg, NW (stabbed, mutilated) external link
• Daniel Swanepoel (57) 04/11/2017 Eensgevonden, Vryheid, KZN (stabbed to death) external link
• [Female victim] (15) 07/11/2017 Driefontein, GP (attacked by four men on parents farm, shot seven times) media link media link
• Danie Fourie (70) 14/11/2017 Danielskuil, Kuruman, NC (stabbed, throat slit) external link
• Tshidiso Kgotlele (53) 14/11/2017 Kilimanock, Dewetsdorp, FS (shot in the stomach) external link
• Willem Bill Dreyer (80) 17/11/2017 Rand Vaal Agricultural Holdings, GP (kidnapped from his smallholding, presumed dead) external link
• Christo Redelinghys (60) 19/11/2017 Farm Jonkmanspruit, Hoedspruit, LP (shot with a shotgun) external link
• Velaphi Hlope 24/11/2017 KZN external link
• Riaan Scheepers (62) 25/11/2017 Alexandria, EC (savagely beaten, died 19/12/2017) external link

December

• [Male Victim] 02/12/2017 Doornrantjies smallholding, Erasmia, Centurion, GP (shot in the upper body) media article
• Gerrie Labuschagne (64) 03/12/2017 Bothaville, FS (bludgeoned with steel pipe, died of complications in a Bothaville frail care home 10/03/2020) media article, media article
• Eric Thomas Moss (84) 10/12/2017 Fort Beaufort, Amatole, EC (hit on the head and strangled with wire) media article
• Gunther Prigge (66) 22/12/2017 Mooihoek, Piet Retief, MP (killed in a shootout) external link

2018 January

• June Butler (78) 04/01/2018 Cramond, KZN (stabbed to death) external link
• Attie Jooste (60) 07/01/2018 Jan Kempdorp, NC (stabbed to death)external link
• Koos Benadie (65) 24/01/2018 Bronkhorstspruit, GP (stabbed to death) external link
• Piet Els (87) 24/01/2018 Kimberley, NC (died 15/05/2018, 111 days after brutal attack) external link
• Dries Steenkamp (77) 25/01/2018 Lydenburg, MP (shot and killed) external link

February

• Athol Harvey (80) 14/02/2018 Weltevrede near Spitskopdam, NC (hit with a crowbar) external link
• Percy Unknown (26) 14/02/2018 Inderminne smallholding Pretoria, GP (farm worker hacked with a panga and beaten to death) external link, external link
• Johannes Cornelius Meyer (73) 16/02/2018 Vogelvlei farm, Charl Cilliers, MP (shot twice) external link
• Liezel Nel (41) 18/02/2018 farm in the Uitkyk area just outside of Nelspruit/Mbombela, MP (strangled and was left in a storm water ditch) external link
• Hantie van der Vyfer (72) 25/02/2018 Chrissiesmeer, Ermelo, MP (strangled to death) external link
• Hannes Christie (65) 27/02/2018 Coligny, NW (assaulted and died) external link
• [Female Victim] (65) 27/02/2018 Groblershoop, NC (body found on her smallholding) media article

March

• Dirk Steenkamp (71) 04/03/2018 Vredefort, FS (shot dead) external link
• Martin Louw (59) 14/03/2018 Wolwefontein, Tulbagh, WC (fatally stabbed external link
• Tankiso Isaac Pharoe (40) 19/03/2018 Brandenburg, Ladybrand, FS (stabbed, hacked to death) external link
• Jasper von Kleist (61) 21/03/2018 Tom Burke, Lephalale/Ellisras, LP (shot and killed) external link

Victims that do not fit the strict definition of a Farm Attack

• Joey van Niekerk (32) 10/12/2020 Mooinooi, NW (abducted, raped, tortured in shipping container, suffocated, body burned, multiple murder) media link, media link, media link
• Anisha van Niekerk (30) 10/12/2020 Mooinooi, NW (abducted, raped, tortured in shipping container, suffocated, body burned, multiple murder) media link, media link, media link
• John Khoza (72) 27/10/2017 Louw’s Creek, MP (neighbour quarrel over a fence) http://archive.is/oSUjK external link]
• Luke von Johnston (66) 27/10/2017 Louw’s Creek, MP (neighbour quarrel over a fence) http://archive.is/oSUjK external link]
• Penelope Cumming (63) 29/01/2018 Schoongezigt Country Estate, Plettenburg Bay, WC, ZA (strangled and raped) media link
• Riana Louw du Toit (44) 06/02/2018 R354 between Sutherland and Merweville, NC (beaten to death with a rock) external link