Workers save Mpumalanga pig farmer from group of suspected attackers

A well-known pig farmer from Mpumalanga can count himself lucky, after narrowly escaping potential injury during an attempted robbery.

On Wednesday, a group of six men posing as buyers interested in purchasing farmer Johan Pretorius’ pigs struck up a casual conversation with workers at Teutfontein farm, located 12km outside Middelburg, Middelburg Observer reported.

Deal gone wrong

The men asked where the owner of the pigs was. One worker took two of the men to see Pretorius in the hopes of clinching a deal.

ALSO READ: Elderly couple attacked, man killed on Mpumalanga farm

Pretorius began debating the price of the pigs to be purchased when one of the attackers abruptly pulled out a weapon and pointed it at him.

The men asked Pretorius where the safe was.

After being threatened, Pretorius began wrestling with the weapon-wielding man, and a shot was fired, narrowly missing him.

Workers to the rescue

Reports indicate a child in the vicinity saw the events play out and ran to the other workers for help.

The workers managed to catch the two attackers, who were attempting to run away, and overpowered them, pinning them to the ground.

They later handed over the suspects and the weapon to police.

The four other suspects who initially arrived at the farm fled in an unidentified red bakkie are still at large.

ALSO READ: Thornville farm attack: Seven arrested

Previous Mpumalanga farm attack

Last week, an elderly man was found murdered and his partner attacked in their looted home on a farm in the Dwarsfontein area near Delmas in Mpumalanga.

Ridge Times reports that 80-year-old Hennie van der Walt and his life partner, 79-year-old Hester Smal, were attacked in their home during the night or in the early hours of the morning.

Smal, who survived the incident, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

Compiled, edited and translated from Afrikaans by Nica Richards.

Parts of this article first appeared on Caxton publication Middelburg Observer‘s website, written by Daleen Naudé. Read the original article here.