Fourth Farm Attack Suspect Flees in Stolen Bakkie After Rietfontein Cullinan Raid
- A farmer was found hogtied and bleeding after three men attacked him at his Rietfontein property near Cullinan on Friday night
- Echo 1 security officers arrested three suspects in the Welbekend area after intercepting the getaway vehicle with stolen goods
- Three accused appeared in the Cullinan Magistrate's Court on kidnapping and robbery charges while a fourth suspect remains on the run
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GAUTENG — A fourth suspect is still being sought by police after a violent farm attack in Rietfontein, near Cullinan, left a 43-year-old man stabbed, assaulted, and bound inside his own home.
According to Netwerk24, Johannes Jacobus Brits was discovered badly bleeding and hogtied at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Friday, 8 August, after a group of men broke into his property. Court documents indicate that three of the attackers physically assaulted and stabbed Brits while a fourth waited outside as the getaway driver.
Three suspects nabbed in welbekend
Security officers from Echo 1 apprehended three men — Amos Respect Mashaba (52), Rofino Jorge Novela (35), and Siyabulela Khulu (35) — in the Welbekend area on Saturday morning. The team intercepted the suspects' vehicle as it returned to collect both the men and their stolen haul, which included household items, electronics, a cellphone, jumper cables, and a bakkie.
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Tracking the stolen property led security personnel back to Brits' farm, where they found him still bound. The three men subsequently appeared before the Cullinan Magistrate's Court on charges of kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
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Bail opposed as fourth suspect evades capture
During proceedings, the state prosecutor indicated she would oppose bail, citing the gravity of the charges. She further noted that the doctrine of common purpose would apply to all three accused, meaning each could be held equally responsible for the full extent of the attack regardless of their individual roles.
The matter was postponed to a later date this month to allow for formal bail applications.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that a search is actively underway for the outstanding fourth suspect, who fled the scene in Brits' Mitsubishi Club Cab bakkie, bearing registration YXR 071 GP. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the vehicle or the suspect's whereabouts to come forward.
Limpopo farmer survives panga attack
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the recent machete attack on Pieter Buys, a prominent mango farmer from Tzaneen, who bravely defended himself against his assailant. Despite sustaining serious injuries from the attack, Buys’ quick thinking and resilience allowed him to overpower the attacker until help arrived.
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Source: Briefly News
