Cape Town - Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a house robbery in which Stefan Smit, the owner of Louiesenhof Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, died on Saturday.
SAPS spokesperson Andrè Traut said: "Four armed suspects entered the victim’s house through an unlocked door and shot and killed him. His wife and a family friend who were present at the time of the incident both survived the attack. The suspects fled with personal belongings and are yet to be arrested."
The wine estate has been in the news over the last year after hundreds of residents of nearby Kayamandi and surrounds started erecting informal housing and shacks on the property.
Upon hearing the news Annelie Lotriet, Chairperson of the DA's Parliamentary Caucus, said that she was dismayed.
"This is the second farm murder in less than a month in the Western Cape and follows short on the heels of the murder of former DA councillor, Annette Kennealy as well as other brutal attacks in Limpopo and elsewhere over the past few weeks.
"These attacks and murders are untenable and it is clear that the DA’s long-standing appeal for the integration of rural safety units falls on deaf ears," Lotriet said.
"Therefore, the DA will today make a request to the South African Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, to urgently meet with him on the attack on our rural communities.
"The DA has a clear rural safety plan and we work tirelessly to highlight issues related to rural safety that we will present to General Sitole."
Western Cape Agriculture MEC, Dr Ivan Meyer and Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz will also later today meet with the Mayor of Stellenbosch, Advocate Gesie van Deventer to discuss the latest farm killing.
* Any person who can assist police with our investigation is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.