Durban – The KZN agriculture community has reacted with outrage to the murder of farming couple Glen Rafferty, 63, and Vida Homann Rafferty, 60, whose bodies were found on their Normandien farm, near Newcastle, yesterday morning.
The Rafferties were maize and cattle farmers. Their neighbour, Chess Security director Dana Geel, said the couple had returned home after 10pm from a visit to family in Newcastle on Saturday night. He believed the killers were waiting in the driveway.
Geel said guards on patrol on Sunday morning found the couple's dogs roaming the property.
“I got the call and told them to check. My guards found them lying outside the house at 5.30am. He was shot once. The dog was beside him, dead. She was shot twice. We are not sure what was taken. Their laptop and iPad were still on the table. The robbers could have tampered with the safe. They could not get it open. The items from Vida’s handbag were scattered on the floor outside. This is a big loss for the community,” he said.
Geel’s wife, Janet Greyling Viljoen, believed the murders were carefully planned.
“The question is why kill them? They died for nothing. A senseless murder,” she said, adding the Rafferties’ son who had a farm nearby.
“All these farmers look after their employees. We communicated with the family regularly, whether on WhatsApp groups or in person,” Viljoen said.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said the killers ransacked the house.
“The cameras were destroyed and the camera control was taken. The suspects fled the scene with the victims’ Pajero, which was found abandoned near Elandslaagte,” she said.
According to Agri SA, there were 49 murders on farms in the SAPS 2019/20 financial year. Christopher Pappas, DA spokesperson on agriculture and rural development (DARD) in KZN, said the murders came two days after the postponement of the DARD portfolio committee meeting.
“We should have met to make recommendations and resolutions on the issues affecting the safety of farmers, farmworkers and rural communities. One of the recommendations was directly subsidising farm patrols, farm watches and private security initiatives,” Pappas said.
Newcastle mayor Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba said the Rafferties were progressive people who cared deeply for the community and understood the culture and tradition of the people in the area.
“They were both affectionately loved and admired for their contribution to the betterment of our society. Their untimely deaths are a huge loss Killing of farmers and their workers should be denounced,” he said.
Resident Johann Abrie said the couple was well-known and much loved.
The murders came hours after the KZN Bikers Against Farm Murders and Racism Movement rode to police stations in the province and to the Union Buildings calling for an end to violence.
Daily News