Five in court for farmer’s murder

POLICE have arrested five men, aged between 23 and 37, in connection with the murder of an Ermelo, Mpumalanga farmer.

Jannie Weideman's body was discovered in the living room of his home by a neighbour in December.

Police said Wiedeman's wife alerted the neighbour when she could not reach her 59-year-old husband. The wife had been away visiting family in Middleburg at the time.

“Police in Ermelo were notified about the gruesome discovery, and an investigation was immediately instituted in order to trace the perpetrators,” said provincial spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli.

He said during the farm attack, a safe for a rifle as well as jewellery worth more than R300 000 were taken.

“A Toyota Hilux was also taken, and the vehicle was found abandoned in Breyten. The battery was missing," Mdhluli said.

Investigations led police to the recovery of three firearms, reportedly stolen during the farm attack. A fourth firearm, stolen in Piet Retief in May 2022, was also recovered.

“On January 8, police arrested three suspects. A day later, two more suspects were arrested,” Mdhluli said. He said police are investigating whether the firearm stolen in Piet Retief was linked to the farm attack.

“In this regard, two more suspects were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. They have appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court, and police cannot rule out whether they will be additionally charged for the farm attack.,” Mdhluli said.

In another incident in December, a 72-year-old Western Cape farmer was killed at his home during an invasion.

Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said: “The suspects tied up the elderly couple. They then locked the wife in the bathroom, while the suspects took the husband to the outside of the house.”