Durban - Barely a week after AfriForum released its 2019 statistics on farm attacks and murders, there were two farm murders in the country in the past 24 hours.
Both attacks took place in the early hours of Tuesday, one at Mooi River, northern KwaZulu-Natal, and the other at Kameeldrift, north of Pretoria.
At Mooi River, the farmer, a woman, was shot dead while another person was tied up.
Chris Pappas, the DA KZN spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development, said they were deeply disturbed by yet another murder in the province.
“The incident, which took place during the early hours of Tuesday morning, saw a farmer shot dead and another person tied up. A number of possessions were stolen, including their vehicle which was later found abandoned,” said Pappas.
“The scourge of crime in our rural areas - and in particular the brutal attacks on farming communities - is out of control," he said.
Two suspects are believed to be behind the attack and reportedly stole items from the farm, including a television and a car.
The woman’s daughter, who would not be named, said she was shocked by the attack and heartbroken at the loss of her mother. “My mother was so good to people and this tragedy was unexpected. She was our world and it's a huge shock to the whole community and us as a family. The perpetrators had no heart whatsoever.”
AfriForum’s head of community safety, Ian Cameron, said the Mooi River murder was one of two murders in the past 24 hours.
“It’s terrible. Since Saturday there’s been a sudden drastic increase in attacks on farms in SA,” said Cameron.
He said the farm attacks and murders showed that people in rural communities should be vigilant and take part in community safety structures.
AfriForum’s report indicated that the average age of the victims was 55.
The report stated that in many cases, victims were overpowered, ambushed and surprised inside their homes.
Attackers gained entry by breaking open security doors, burglar bars, windows or through doors or windows that were left open.
Some of the crimes included torture, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, rape, kidnapping and murder.