Five arrested after South African farmer shot and tortured in Ventersdorp
Police arrested five suspects following a house robbery and assault on cattle farmer Donovan Marx in the North West province.
South African police have arrested five people in connection with an attack on cattle farmer Donovan Marx at his farm in Ventersdorp, according to BBC News. The incident occurred last Wednesday in the North West province when Marx was ambushed as he returned home.
Police stated that a group of masked men armed with guns approached a worker at the house while he was mowing the lawn. The attackers allegedly tied the worker's hands and feet with cable ties and demanded to know Marx's location.
Two suspects allegedly shot Marx in the upper body as he arrived, then dragged him inside the house where they tied him up and stabbed him, police said. The suspects reportedly took three firearms from a safe and escaped with Marx's van.
Marx remains in hospital and may require prosthetic ears after surgeons were unable to save his own, IOL reported. Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp condemned the attack, stating there is no place in the country for such acts.
The five suspects, aged between 26 and 56, are facing charges of house robbery, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. They are scheduled to appear in local courts on Tuesday.
Ian Cameron, the chair of parliament's police committee, praised the police for the arrests and called for a properly investigated case to follow.