Three suspects arrested after Colenso farm attack

Three suspects were arrested yesterday after a couple was attacked on their farm in Colenso, outside Ladysmith. Picture: Se-Anne Rall

Three suspects were arrested yesterday after a couple was attacked on their farm in Colenso, outside Ladysmith. Picture: Se-Anne Rall

Published Jul 2, 2020

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Durban - Three suspects were arrested yesterday after a couple was attacked on their farm in Colenso, outside Ladysmith.

According to the police, just after 9am three men entered a farm and demanded firearms.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said that during the incident a 46-year-old man was assaulted with the butt of a firearm.

She said the suspects left in their getaway vehicle and a case of attempted robbery and attempted murder was opened.

“An investigation was conducted and the suspects’ getaway vehicle was spotted in Winterton. They were then arrested and taken to Colenso police station for detention,” said Gwala, adding that the suspects would be appearing in the Colenso Magistrate’s court soon.

According to the KZN Agricultural Union (Kwanalu), the couple are okay but the incident left them traumatised.

Kwanalu’s chief executive Sandy la Marque said the attacks were taking place in areas where police stations were crippled by Covid-19.

Dianne Kohler-Barnard, chairperson of the DA Rural Safety Workstream, said farm attacks were endangering food security.

“There were 128 000 farmers in the country when we entered our democracy 26 years ago, now there are about 38000,” she said.

She called on government to intervene in finding ways to protect farmers and those in the farming community. 

"It is as if farmers and farm workers have been declared persona non grata. They are needed to ensure food security but is left to try and solve any and all problems they might encounter on their own," she said. 

The Mercury

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