PRETORIA – The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Khehla John Sitole has welcomed the arrest of three suspects following their alleged involvement of a robbery, kidnapping, and murder on a farm in Magogong just outside Hartswater in the Northern Cape.
It is believed that a group of people attacked a family of three, the 83-year-old father, 79-year-old mother, and their 50-year-daughter at their farmhouse on Sunday, 26 July 2020. The incident was reported to the police yesterday after a family member residing in Johannesburg suspected that something was wrong when he was unable to get in touch with his parents and sister since Sunday.
All three occupants of the house could not be found and their two sedans were also missing. The 72-hour Activation Plan which included the deployment of Crime Intelligence, Forensic Experts, Detective Services, and other supporting units were mobilized. A massive search was launched which resulted in one of the stolen cars, a Nissan Micra was found abandoned at Majaneng village, Taung in North West province last night.
With the search continuing in the Northern Cape, the second vehicle, a Grey Mazda CX5 was spotted in the area of Pudimoe being driven by a woman with two male passengers. The vehicle was stopped and the three suspects were subsequently arrested. The woman is 42 years of age and the two males are 18 and 19 years of age.
Follow-up investigations were conducted throughout the night and in the early hours of this morning, the body of the 50-year-old daughter was found in a field in the Takaneng Village in Taung. She had been murdered but the cause of death is yet to be determined.
The search for the parents is continuing. In the meantime, police have arrested a fourth suspect a short while ago. At this stage, the motive for the attack is suspected to be robbery.
We are appealing to anyone who may have any information on the whereabouts of the elderly couple to please contact the SAPS on the Crime Stop number 086 00 10111. Information may also be provided via the MySAPSApp.
All information will be treated with strictest confidence and callers may remain anonymous.
UPDATE: Police have earlier this afternoon recovered the bodies of the 83 and 79-year-old couple in a veld in Takaneng Village. A six suspect, aged 36 years, has also been arrested bringing the total to five the number suspects arrested in connection with this case. https://t.co/G3HSlECYUt
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) July 28, 2020