Farmer injured and wife stabbed to death, FF Plus calls for murders to be declared a priority crime

Freedom Front Plus Member of Parliament Corne Mulder said the latest farm attack and murder on a farm near the rural town of Moorreesburg serve as clear proof that farm murders must be declared a priority crime.

This comes after a 69-year-old man was wounded and his 65-year-old wife stabbed to death at their farm in Klipheuwel north of Cape Town, in the Western Cape.

Police were able to apprehend a 34-year-old suspect after responding to the incident.

Spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said police are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the attack.

“The female victim was declared deceased on scene by medical personnel and the male victim was taken to a medical facility for medical treatment. Cases of murder and attempted murder were opened for investigation. A 34-year-old male was arrested.”

The couple have been identified as Frans and Ingrid Koch.

The FF Plus said it agrees with Agri Western Cape that one farm murder is one too many.

“The FF Plus will keep fighting for a much-needed special rural safety unit that focuses on the prevention of farm attacks and combats this type of crime in cooperation with farmers and other safety and security forums.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape also condemned the farm attack.

The party said rural communities are under siege due to heinous acts of violence.

“Police Minister Bheki Cele has not shown any sign of remorse for the plight of farmers and farmworkers as he has failed to properly implement the rural safety plan. Rural communities are at great risk of crime due to their isolation from police stations.

“This requires a greater need for special police resources to combat farm attacks and killings as well as the high incidents of other criminal activities that negatively affect farming,” the party said.

During the release of the latest quarter’s crime statistics last month, police minister Bheki Cele said 11 people were killed in the 11 incidents of murder which occurred on farms and smallholdings between October and December 2021.

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