Farmer killed, and wife tortured 

Dwaalboom - Martiens Richter (68) was murdered, and his wife Elsa Richter was brutally tortured on their farm in the Dwaalboom area near Thabazimbi on Tuesday 6 September.

According to posts on social media Richter went out in the dark of night to investigate after the electricity in their house kept on tripping. Reportedly that was when he was murdered.

The attackers then turned their attention to his wife. She apparently unsuspectingly opened the door as she thought it was her husband returning home. She was tortured and burned with an unknown object.

Police spokesperson brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that the suspects ransacked the house and took two plasma television sets, firearms, cellphones, tools and other items. They loaded the items into the Richter’s Volkswagen Amarok and fled the scene.

Police received information about a vehicle in Bela-Bela that fitted the description of Richters’ vehicle. The vehicle was spotted along Potgieter Street in Bela-Bela and was pulled over. The suspects allegedly started shooting at the police who returned fire. 

One of the suspects was fatally shot and another suspect was injured. The vehicle, five (05) firearms [including a toy gun], two plasma TV sets, two cellphones and tools were recovered.

Apparently both suspects were identified as farmworkers from Richters’ farm. Investigations are underway to determine if additional suspects were involved.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has hailed the swift reaction of the police following a house robbery (farm attack).

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