Farm Manager Killed in KwaZulu-Natal, Midlands Community Left Reeling

• A farm murder victim from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands was torched to death near his home in an incident that shocked the community
• The police said that the victim was reported kidnapped, and he was found burned in his car
• Members of the community described him in warm terms and mourned his sudden and gruesome death

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

MIDLANDS, KWAZULU-NATAL — A KwaZulu-Natal farm manager was found dead, and his death left the community he was part of in shock.

According to IOL, Mike Pryor, who lived in Indezi Valley in the Midlands, was burned in his car beyond recognition near Mpophomeni on 9 November 2025. He was abducted from his home, where he lived alone.

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The South African Police Service (SAPS) said that the police responded to reports of a vehicle. When the police arrived, they found that a bakkie had been burned. Pryor was identified as the person who was scorched.

Members of the community remember Pryor

Members of the community where Pryor lived spoke to IOL about the kind of person he was. A neighbour said that he was gentle and kind and always respected everyone. She also said that he loved his dogs, with whom he lived. The neighbour said the last time she saw him was when he delivered bales to her property.

Another neighbour said that Pryor called him days before he died and said his electricity was switched off. He noted that Pryor did not deserve what happened to him.

Other Briefly News stories about murders on farms

A Mpumalanga man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a 14-year-old on a farm in Nkomazi. Sarel Du Plessis was found guilty of killing Bhekimuzi Ziko in Kamhlushwa. Du Plessis also tried to kill the people who were with Ziko, but they escaped. He was given an additional 10-year sentence for each of the three counts of attempted murder, five years for possessing an unlicensed firearm, and three years for possessing unlicensed ammunition.

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9-year-old kills himself in Delft on the Cape Flats, community leader mourns his death

Three men were arrested in Limpopo for allegedly killing and dumping the bodies of two women in a pigsty in August 2024. A farmer and his two employees were arrested and charged with the murder of the two women. They appeared before the Mankweng Magistrates Court, and the state opposed bail for them.

In a related article, Briefly News reported that an 11-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed a farm worker in Thabazimbi, Limpopo. The incident occurred on the evening of 11 October 2025. It's alleged that the boy was shooting at guinea fowls on the farm when he accidentally discharged the gun, which shot the farm worker. He was declared dead on the scene. The police arrested his father, and both appeared before the Thabazimbi Magistrates Court.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News