Durban - A FARM manager and his family were tied up with extension cords and beaten with crowbars and cane cutters after three robbers broke into their Glendale home on Thursday night.
They then abducted the farm manager’s 19-year-old daughter and forced
her to drive to an ATM to withdraw money.
While returning to the farm, they attacked the woman before fleeing.
The farm manager, 46, said they went to bed at 11pm on Thursday.
Shortly afterwards, he heard windows breaking in his bedroom, kitchen and toilet.
“I got up to see what was happening. Suddenly, three men kicked down my lounge door and entered my home. Their faces were covered and they
wore gloves. They had crowbars and cane cutters.”
One of the intruders grabbed him.
“He hit me with the cane cutter and pushed me to the ground. They then tied my hands behind my back and also tied my ankles with an extension cord.”
He said the criminals demanded money and dragged him to his bedroom.
The farm manager gave them R70, but they demanded more.
“When one of them saw the money, he hit me with a crowbar on my lower back and my left thigh. I told him that was all I had because we did not keep cash in the home.
“This made him angry and he wanted to know where the safe was.”
He said that after explaining he did not have a safe, the robber dragged him to the lounge.
“He used a thick branch and struck me on my legs and arms.” While he was being beaten, another robber walked around the house with their daughter.
“Her hands were tied and they threatened to assault her with a crowbar.”
The farm manager said his wife was tied up and left in the bathroom. One of the robbers demanded cash from her as well.
“He threatened to burn her with an iron. They ransacked our home. They removed clothing from our cupboards and even furniture from our ceiling.”
He said all they wanted was money.
“After an hour they left with my daughter. They took our cellphones and a laptop. They made her drive 25km to the Mvoti Shell Ultra City and made her withdraw money.
“They instructed her to drive towards Tinley Manor where two of them attacked her.”
The farm manager said they further instructed her to drop them off at the corner of the R102 and Glendale Road from where they left on foot.
He said his daughter drove back to the farm.
“During this time, we managed to untie ourselves and searched the farm for her. It is a parent’s worst nightmare not knowing where your child is.”
He said the robbers were callous
and professional.
“I have lived on this farm for two years and this is the first time something like this has happened. We are traumatised.
“Our lives will never be the same.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said a case of robbery and kidnapping was being investigated.
No arrests have been made.