Man in court for ‘breaking into elderly farmer’s home, hitting him with panga’

A man, allegedly involved in a house robbery on a farm in Leeudoringstad, North West, earlier this month, has been arrested.

It is alleged that two individuals broke into a 77-year-old farmer’s home and robbed the pensioner of his belongings and his Mercedes Benz on 12 June, at around 19.30pm.

“During the ordeal, the victim was hit with a panga on his head and tied-up,” police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said in a statement.

“The suspects then took six firearms from a safe as well as a cellular phone and left the scene in the farmer’s Mercedes Benz,” added Myburgh.

After the farmer managed to free himself, he reported the incident to the police.

Myburgh said the farmer was admitted to hospital with head injuries.

The stolen Mercedes Benz was found a few hours later, abandoned on the Leeudoringstad-Orkney Road.

One of the suspects was traced and arrested on Wednesday, 17 June, at his house on a farm in the Leeudoringstad area.

“Joseph Bernard Kulelaphi (50) was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Wolmaransstad Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 19 June, 2020, for house robbery, attempted murder and theft of motor vehicle,” said Myburgh.

“All six stolen firearms were recovered. The police also found a .38 special revolver with a filed off serial number.”

Kulelaphi will reappear on 23 June.

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