RUSTENBURG HERALD - SWARTRUGGENS - The Maizey family of Papknop farm had to deal with the devastating news of their elderly farm workers being attacked, bound, and one murdered earlier this week.
The eldery caretaker couple, Oupa Maseloane (71) and Elizabeth Peolwane (61) had to deal with four attackers on the morning of Monday, 10 June around 6am. The suspects trespassed onto the property, found the workers in the house, where they were attacked and beaten until they eventually gave up the keys to other parts of the property.
Owner of the farm, Rikki Maizey Snr confirmed that an estimated R200 000 worth of goods were stolen from the five houses, workshop and stores on the property - including generators, tools, televisions, inverters and even food and beverages.
According to a neighbour of the Maizeys, he was called by one of his farm workers on Tuesday morning, who had come across Maseloane on the side of a farm road, searching for help.
He had only managed to escape on that morning, hours after the suspects had robbed the property and stolen two Nissan bakkies from the farm, leaving him bound and helpless. The neighbour drove Maseloane back to the scene, where evidence of a struggle was clear and they came upon the body of Elizabeth, who had, according to reports, very callously been hacked to death by a pickaxe.
Local businessman and owner of Just Med, Marchant Jacobs, happened upon an idling Nissan bakkie next to the road at the back of Hoërskool Rustenburg on Tuesday morning and alerted the authorities, as it seemed suspicious to him. It was then discovered that the vehicle was one of the bakkies that had been stolen from the farm the previous day. Local SAPS did an initial search of the vehicle but found no obvious evidence or clues and reported that the vehicle would be sent for fingerprint and forensic testing. During the course of Tuesday, the Swartruggens SAPS was quick to investigate and the trail of the suspects led to the local informal settlement of Bore Relo, where two suspects were identified and one arrested, after being found in possession of some of the stolen goods.
The farm has been in the Maizey family for generations and Richard Maizey Jnr commented that their “happy place”’ had now been taken away from them, as the farm had always been a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and there had been no incidents of this kind in the fifty years that the family has owned the farm.
Rikki Maizey Snr, Richard Maizy Jnr and Dewald Botha (son-in-law of Rikki), were all on the scene where the bakkie was discovered on Tuesday morning and were devastated by the horrific attack on their trusted and beloved workers.
Much of the stolen property and the four main perpetrators are still in the wind, but SAPS is positive that they are making good progress. Maseloane was treated in the Swartruggens Hospital and kept overnight for observation and under sedation as he had not slept or eaten for two days. He is set to go for x-rays on Wednesday morning (12 June) and has been offered free councelling by Afriform.
