80-Year-Old Free State Farmer Arrested for Murder, SA Divided After Decomposed Body Found on Farm
- An 80-year-old farmer in the Free State has been arrested and charged with murder and defeating the ends of justice
- The police have urged citizens not to spread unverified information that could compromise the ongoing case
- South Africans weighed in on the matter online, sharing mixed reactions to the arrest of the elderly farmer
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Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
FREE STATE: The arrest of a farmer in the Free State has sparked mixed reactions online.
The 80-year-old was arrested after a decomposed body was discovered on his farm between Kroonstad and Welkom in the province. A police task team from Bloemfontein recovered the remains of a young man following a tip-off from members of the community.
What is the farmer charged with?
Police confirmed that a murder docket has since been opened, as well as one for defeating the ends of justice. The farmer is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, 03 September 2025, on both charges.
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Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Motantsi Makhele, added that there was a possibility of additional arrests being made as well.
The deceased was allegedly buried on the farm, but due to the advanced state of decomposition, DNA samples were taken to confirm the identity of the body.
Video of farmer admitting to murder goes viral
The arrest came on the same day that a video went viral on social media of an interview with a farmer in the area who seemingly admitted to killing someone during a farm attack on his property before.
In a heated interview with Newzroom Afrika, he stated that he would kill anyone who attacked him in his house. He also got visibly irritated with the media as they attempted to get answers out of him about the incident.
With many social media users questioning whether he was the same person arrested, Briefly News contacted the Kroonstad South African Police Service (SAPS) for more clarity. Their response will be added once it is received.
You can view the video below.
While SAPS are yet to confirm whether the farmer in the video is the one arrested, Makhele urged the public from spreading rumours, saying that this was a serious and sensitive case.
"We appeal to the community to allow the investigation to unfold in an evidence-driven manner, and to refrain from spreading unverified information that could compromise the case," Makhele said.
Source: Getty Images
How did South Africans react?
Social media users shared mixed reactions to the news. Some brought up Donald Trump’s claims about farm murders, while others called for justice to be served. There were also some who said it was self-defence.
Elize Germishuizen Partridge said:
“If you read the real story, this was a farm attack gone wrong for the dead guy.”
Larry Badela asked:
“Is he the one who agreed to killing someone before?”
Theresia Herbst stated:
“Joh. Hope he will face full justice.”
Sine Afrikan explained:
“This is why I would fight tooth and nail against anyone hijacking me. I would rather you kill me in traffic and leave my body inside my car or thrown out of it, than for me to submit to your hijacking and risk being killed and my decomposing body being thrown in a shallow grave, while my family and friends believe that I ran away. Never.”
Craig Schwartz added:
“It is the fear of the law, which judges and condemns those who defend themselves against life-threatening criminals, that causes atrocious events like this to become a reality.”
Juan Smith asked:
“Are these the farm murders AfriForum are on about?🤔”
Lebogang Koloko asked:
“Is this not the farmer who said he was attacked and had to defend himself? Is it true that you can go to prison if you shoot a criminal to death?”
Makwenkwe Saul noted:
“If he is the one I've heard about, there are many more murders he should be investigated for.”
Edward Molato said:
“Deport him to America. Don't charge him, he is too old, surely. Donald Trump’s administration will be happy to grant him asylum status and have him join the other 49.”
Bobby Le Sekwati added:
“They also found a dead body on my dad's farm. Sometimes people murder people and dump them in the veld.”
Simanga Wiseman Vilakazi stated:
“Trump, come see how your people behave here.”
Other stories of farmers being arrested
Briefly News reported that there have been numerous cases over the years of farmers who were arrested for violent crimes.
In April 2021, a farmer and his son were arrested after the alleged murder of two job seekers.
In August 2024, a 60-year-old farmer and two suspects were arrested for the murder of two women in Polokwane.
Also in August 2024, a farmer and security guard in Mpumalanga were arrested for killing two men before burning their bodies.
Khayelitsha couple abandons bail bid in Lolitha Kowa murder
In other news about violent crime, Odwa Jack and Nokuthula Matyeseni appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on 20 August 2025. The couple are accused of the murder and sexual assault of seven-year-old Lolitha Kowa. South Africans weighed in on the outcome of the latest appearance.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
