Farm invasion at Mariental
In yet another farm invasion, a well-known farmer from the Hardap irrigation scheme near Mariental and his grandson were attacked in an armed robbery by five men.
According to the police the 60-year-old Riaan de Klerk and his 12-year-old grandson, JR, arrived at his plot on the outskirts of Mariental on Wednesday night at about 20:00 and were surprised by five suspects.
The suspects were armed with pistols and a rifle and overpowered Riaan. Both Riaan and JR were tied up with tape and one of the suspects apparently threatened Riaan by aiming a firearm at his head.
According to the police JR in the process managed to call his uncle, Cobus de Klerk, by cellphone, who then came to their rescue.
The suspects slapped JR and throttled him, demanding to know where the safe was.
The suspects fled when they heard a vehicle approaching.
Dawie de Klerk, brother of Riaan, who is also the representative of the Hardap Farmers and Agronomy Producers Association, was informed of the incident within minutes and mobilised the farming community from Windhoek to assist.
The police were also at the scene immediately. The search for the suspects continued throughout the night but by yesterday afternoon nobody had been arrested.
Riaan is a lucerne farmer at the Hardap scheme and also farms with livestock in the Kalkrand area.
Farmers yesterday expressed concern about the fact that three farm invasions, including two murders, had occurred within the last three weeks.
The farmers specifically expressed concern about the incident in which the Bothma couple were killed on their farm near Koës, saying the couple were forced to open their safe and then shot with their own firearm.
According to some farmers a meeting must be arranged at which basic safety protocols should be discussed.
They said farmers will have to equip themselves and their wives within their living areas to be able to react within a few seconds if something should happen.
“This is unfortunately the difference between life and death. All of our weapons are locked up in safes and in a crisis moment you are too late,” a farmer said.
Political party PDM and the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) have also expressed concern about the farm attacks.
Earlier in the week, following the Botma murders, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) strongly condemned these types of acts.
PDM said it was concerned about the brutal killings of commercial famers, as well as the murders and rapes of women and children in Namibia.
“Fellow Namibians, please stop the killings, stop, stop and stop,” said PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe.
According to him commercial farmers play an important role in the agricultural sector and the economic growth of the country.
“They contribute immensely to the country's GDP. Namibia has become a safe haven for these brutalities and it must be condemned with the contempt it deserves.”
Ngaringombe said these brutal activities were tarnishing Namibia's image and the killings were also diverting foreign investors and tourists to other safe destinations, at the expense of Namibia.
ELLANIE SMIT
According to the police the 60-year-old Riaan de Klerk and his 12-year-old grandson, JR, arrived at his plot on the outskirts of Mariental on Wednesday night at about 20:00 and were surprised by five suspects.
The suspects were armed with pistols and a rifle and overpowered Riaan. Both Riaan and JR were tied up with tape and one of the suspects apparently threatened Riaan by aiming a firearm at his head.
According to the police JR in the process managed to call his uncle, Cobus de Klerk, by cellphone, who then came to their rescue.
The suspects slapped JR and throttled him, demanding to know where the safe was.
The suspects fled when they heard a vehicle approaching.
Dawie de Klerk, brother of Riaan, who is also the representative of the Hardap Farmers and Agronomy Producers Association, was informed of the incident within minutes and mobilised the farming community from Windhoek to assist.
The police were also at the scene immediately. The search for the suspects continued throughout the night but by yesterday afternoon nobody had been arrested.
Riaan is a lucerne farmer at the Hardap scheme and also farms with livestock in the Kalkrand area.
Farmers yesterday expressed concern about the fact that three farm invasions, including two murders, had occurred within the last three weeks.
The farmers specifically expressed concern about the incident in which the Bothma couple were killed on their farm near Koës, saying the couple were forced to open their safe and then shot with their own firearm.
According to some farmers a meeting must be arranged at which basic safety protocols should be discussed.
They said farmers will have to equip themselves and their wives within their living areas to be able to react within a few seconds if something should happen.
“This is unfortunately the difference between life and death. All of our weapons are locked up in safes and in a crisis moment you are too late,” a farmer said.
Political party PDM and the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) have also expressed concern about the farm attacks.
Earlier in the week, following the Botma murders, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) strongly condemned these types of acts.
PDM said it was concerned about the brutal killings of commercial famers, as well as the murders and rapes of women and children in Namibia.
“Fellow Namibians, please stop the killings, stop, stop and stop,” said PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe.
According to him commercial farmers play an important role in the agricultural sector and the economic growth of the country.
“They contribute immensely to the country's GDP. Namibia has become a safe haven for these brutalities and it must be condemned with the contempt it deserves.”
Ngaringombe said these brutal activities were tarnishing Namibia's image and the killings were also diverting foreign investors and tourists to other safe destinations, at the expense of Namibia.
ELLANIE SMIT
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