‘Race card’ played as all suspects nabbed for farm attack

The suspects were arrested following a brutal attack on a 50-year-old North West farmer. All three suspects have been arrested in connection with an attack on a 50-year-old farmer who was stabbed, shot and his ears cut off amid a public outcry over “racial politics”. South African Police Service North West spokesperson Adéle Myburgh confirmed they have been nabbed following an “intensive investigation’ after the violent attack on Donovan Marx in Syferfontein, Ventersdorp. Parliamentary portfolio committee on police chair Ian Cameron has called on parliament’s joint committee on ethics and members’ interests to assess the remarks of uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) MP Andile Mngxitama on X. Mngxitama allegedly wrote that Marx’ ears were cut off because it was symbolic of the refusal of land thieves to listen. “No land, no peace. Farm life is overdetermined by systematic violence. Blacks got killed and fed to pigs,” he wrote. The post has since been removed. Cameron said it was a repugnant attempt to give torture political legitimacy. “No argument about land justifies mutilating a human being. Exploiting a severely injured man’s suffering for racial provocation is political cowardice.” MK clearly does not defend human dignity while excusing rhetoric that gives torture a political rationale, Cameron said. “MK must establish whether its MP published these remarks, reject their message and explain what disciplinary action will follow if authorship is confirmed. If Mngxitama wrote them, he owes Marx and his family a retraction and apology.” Condemning the attack, Minister of Agriculture Willie Aucamp said it shows once again what happens when political “idiots” incite people by singing Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer in front of thousands. “Donovan Marx, we pray for your speedy recovery. We also pray that farm murders and farm attacks in our country will come to an end. “But this will not happen until the police treat the prevention of farm attacks and farm murders as a priority,” Aucamp said. AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for community safety, Jacques Broodryk, said farm attacks can no longer be treated merely as ordinary criminal incidents when victims are subjected to extreme violence such as this. “Effective policing requires intelligence-driven investigations, a rapid response capability and meaningful cooperation between the police and legitimate community safety structures. “The organisation reiterates its call for farm attacks to be officially classified as priority crimes and for a dedicated national strategy to be implemented to prevent these attacks, strengthen investigations, and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Broodryk said. According to North West police spokesperson Captain Majang Skalkie, the attack occurred last Wednesday at approximately 8.30am, when a farm employee was mowing the lawn and was approached by three unknown men. “The suspects, whose faces were covered with balaclavas, were armed with firearms. The suspects allegedly pointed their firearms at the employee and demanded to know the whereabouts of the farm owner. They then tied his hands and feet with cable ties,” Skalkie said. “The situation escalated when the farm owner arrived in a red, single cab Isuzu bakkie. Two of the suspects allegedly approached him and shot him in the upper body. They subsequently dragged him inside the house, tied his hands and feet with cable ties and allegedly stabbed and further assaulted him.” Skalkie said they searched the house and took three firearms from a safe before fleeing the scene in the farmer’s bakkie. “The farm worker managed to free himself and called for help.” Marx is reportedly in a stable condition in intensive care.