Attacked farmer loses battle for life
THE family of farmer Riaan Scheepers from Alexandria in the Eastern Cape said that Scheepers had died after a weeks-long battle to stay alive following a savage beating from robbers late last month at the farm he managed.
A message from his daughter Bianca Scheepers, shared on WhatsApp, states: “Pappa het vanmiddag ongeveer 17h na ‘n beter plek gegaan… Sy een long het gesukkel om lug te kry en genoeg suurstof in die bloed te laat. Sy hart was te swak om verder te werk .” [Papa went to a better place this afternoon at about 5pm. One of his lungs struggled to get air and let enough oxygen into his blood. His heart was too weak to work anymore.]
Scheepers was in a medical coma to allow the swelling on his brain to subside. He was severely beaten, sustaining two skull fractures and two facial fractures, as well as multiple stab wounds and lacerations.
According to the SAPS, a farm worker accompanying Scheepers was also beaten, but was not badly injured. He escaped and fled to a neighbouring farm to call for help.
The robbers stole a .38 revolver and fled in Scheepers’ white Isuzu bakkie. The vehicle was abandoned on the Grahamstown/ Salem road near Kenton-on-Sea.
On December 1, a youth was arrested in connection with the attack and items of clothing, as well as Scheeper’s cellphone, were recovered.
Siphamandla Petse, 24, has subsequently appeared in the Alexandria Magistrate’s Court.
In light of Scheeper’s death, the initial charge of house robbery is likely to be changed to murder at the discretion of the court. — Talk of the Town