Brutal assault on Alex farmer
Father of three in critical condition after being ambushed by robbers
AFATHER of three is fighting for his life after being brutally attacked on his Alexandria farm at the weekend. What was meant to be a happy family get-together in Port Elizabeth to watch the South Africa against Italy rugby test on television turned into a nightmare after Riaan Scheepers, 62, was badly beaten and stabbed by two men.
He sustained severe skull and facial fractures.
Scheepers and a farm worker, identified as Liefie Breakfast, age unknown, were attacked between 8.30am and 9am on Saturday when they walked into Scheepers’s home after being out in the field.
The cattle farmer’s daughter, Bianca, 29, said her father had been severely assaulted and stabbed multiple times.
Breakfast had also been beaten, according to the police, but was not as badly injured.
He managed to escape and call for help.
An anguished Bianca said her father was in a stable but critical condition and was showing some reaction.
Bianca, a teacher in Cradock, was staying with extended family in Port Elizabeth for the weekend and had been expecting her father to join them to watch the rugby.
But, instead, she received a call from one of her father’s neighbours, telling her that he had been attacked on the farm.
“All I wanted to know was if my father was still alive,” Bianca said.
“I was told he had been tied up with cable ties and that’s when they hurt him.”
The news of the attack had been a huge shock as he had sent her a WhatsApp message shortly before the vicious assault.
“I had to phone my siblings – sister Simone, 26, from Hermanus, and brother Christo, 23, who is studying in Bloemfontein – and tell them about the attack,” Bianca said.
“Everyone in the family was stunned because you never think such a thing could happen.
“The family is traumatised, but we’re a praying family and it’s taking us through.”
Scheepers, whose wife died 12 years ago, lives alone on Ficks Farm.
He took the farm over from his father and has run it for almost 30 years.
He is unconscious but breathing on his own, according to Bianca.
Police spokeswoman Mali Govender said: “We are working closely with the farming community, who have been of great assistance, and will continue to follow up on any information received.
“The suspects fled with Scheepers’s bakkie, which was recovered later, and a .38 special revolver.”
Alexandria Agricultural Association chairman Brent McNamara said Scheepers had been taken to the Port Alfred hospital to be stabilised but was transferred later to Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
“He sustained two skull fractures, two facial fractures and multiple lacerations,” he said.
“Doctors have indicated they will be able to do a full assessment after about four days once the significant swelling has reduced.”
McNamara said the information received by the association was that one of Scheepers’s farm workers had raised the alarm.
He had managed to run to a neighbouring farm, from where the police were alerted.
McNamara said that this was the first violent attack the community had experienced in over a decade.
“We’re obviously very concerned because this is the first vicious attack we’ve experienced in a number of years and as an organisation, we’re going to attempt to implement the safety guidelines provided by the SAPS,” he said.
“We sincerely hope it’s an isolated incident and not a pattern.
“The crimes we’ve experienced here are petty crimes such as stock theft.
“We’ve had a couple of people whose homes have been burgled and people tied up, but there’s never been brutality.” Edgar Brotherton, a long-time friend of Scheepers, said his wife went in the ambulance which took Scheepers to hospital and stayed by his side until he was stabilised.
“Everyone was waiting in PE because they wanted him there, but emergency policy is to take a patient to the nearest hospital, which they did.”
Brotherton said his friend had suffered severe trauma when he lost his wife in a car accident 12 years ago and he himself had spent about three months in hospital.
“Riaan has suffered a lot of hardships and he’s lived alone since his wife’s death,” he said.
The neighbour commended the actions of Scheepers’s employee, calling him a hero.
“The hero of this whole ordeal is Riaan’s worker who went to get help,” Brotherton said.
“Had it not been for him, Riaan probably would have died as he suffered deep lacerations.”
Govender said police were investigating a case of house robbery and encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
The hero of this whole ordeal is Riaan’s worker who went to get help