A young labourer, whose innocent greetings of “hello aunty” and “hello sister” disarmed a pioneering KwaZulu-Natal North Coast farming family, is being sought by police after he and two others stabbed and beat them before fleeing with cash, takkies and cooldrink.
The family, from the farming community of Isenembe, past oThongathi (Tongaat), were held hostage by the knife-wielding robbers on Saturday morning.
The Badal family, of Badal CC Farm, which grows sugar cane, said one of the three attackers was known to them.
Despite being the victim of petty crime over the years, the weekend’s brutal attack has left them reeling.
During the attack Nevashnee Badal, 35, sustained wounds to the back, head and neck. Her 15-year-old son, Denver, and 58-year-old mother, Neeru, were left battered and bruised.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane confirmed the incident and said a case of house robbery and attempted murder had been opened. No arrests have been made.
Nevashnee said her mother had opened a tuckshop at their home about seven years ago, for labourers: “On Saturday morning, aguy who we had known from a teenager and who is now in his twenties came to our house with two unknown men.”
The man bought two cigarettes and the family headed outside to catch up on conversation, she said: “My mother enquired about his mom’s health and where he was now staying.”
The three men left, walked to the gate and smoked their cigarettes, and the family returned indoors, but 10 minutes later all hell broke loose.
“They came back… the man who is known to us, grabbed Denver’s hands and pushed him. Denver started to laugh because he thought the guy was playing a game with him. That was until all three drew out their knives.”
Denver was pushed against the wall and freezer and witnessed his mother being repeatedly stabbed with a “spike knife. “He managed to push the robber who was with him. As he stumbled, Denver sprinted out the front door.”
Two of the men tried to chase after Denver, who was long gone. “They were now edgy but continued to demand money.”
She said she began yelling that her brother was on his way. The man known to them heard this. “He knows my brother is (strict) and got a fright. He took the money my mother had (R400) and ran away,” however, his accomplices stuck around.
Nevashnee said she managed to push her attacker aside and fled to a bedroom.
“While I was trying to shut the door, he tried to push it open. I could see him through the opening.”
She put up a fight until both men fled into the sugar canefield.
Denver summoned help from his uncle, who lives on the property, and a neighbour.
The robbers stole a gold chain, a cellphone, cooldrink from the fridge and Neva-shnee’s brother’s sneakers.
She said: “We have never experienced something like this here before. We are going to close the tuckshop.”
She said the lesson they had learnt was to keep their gates locked.
Zwane said all citizens were targets of crime, “since criminals are always on a mission to commit their dreadful acts.
“Most of the cases that have been solved where farmers have fallen victims, their former employees are mostly the suspects,” he said.
“We advise the farmers to maintain a good working relationship with their employees, scan and profile people they employ and keep them away from their personal life.
“Isolation… can make (farmers) vulnerable so they have to tighten their security and always be alert.
“The farm must have one entrance that can be easily monitored.”