NATIONAL NEWS - An elderly couple were allegedly stripped naked, beaten and burned with boiling water as three armed attackers tortured them for safe keys at their Broederstroom game farm on Sunday evening, 1 November.
Close family friend Warren Geddes identified the victims as Les Brett (67) and his wife Natasha, (68).
He said the attackers overpowered them in their home at approximately 19:30.
According to Geddes, the couple endured hours of torture while the men demanded access to their safe.
He alleged that when Les refused to surrender the keys, the attackers began cutting Natasha’s nipples with bolt cutters and repeatedly threatened to rape her.
Les also reportedly sustained severe knee injuries, raising concerns that he may require surgery at a later stage.
Arthur Crewe from SRU High Risk Security said the couple were burned with boiling water, severely beaten and stabbed.
Paramedics who attended the scene described the injuries as horrific and said they did not feel it was their place to disclose the full extent.
The attackers reportedly fled with two cellphones, a laptop and a firearm, leaving numerous other valuables behind.
SRU confirmed receiving a call for assistance at approximately 22:30. Crewe said responders reached the property within minutes.
“We were on scene minutes later and emergency services were called to the scene. We deployed drones in the area, but there was no sign of the suspects,” Crewe said.
SRU said its responders arrived within four minutes of receiving the call. Members of the local community policing forum and Harties Emergency Medical Services also assisted at the scene.
According to his professional biography, Les is a former member of the Special Forces and Police Service. He has trained British armed forces personnel, HM Customs and Excise enforcement officers and US Special Forces in bushcraft, tracking and field survival.
He founded Dung Beetle Bush School more than 20 years ago to help combat poaching and support wildlife conservation.
Photo: Supplied
According to the school’s background information, its work spans three connected areas: a bush school and academy for students of all ages, specialist anti-poaching training for rangers and reserve staff, and a safari management service that helps fund its educational and conservation activities.
His passion for wildlife and the African bush underpins the school’s guiding belief: “The preservation of our wilderness lies in the hands of our children.”
Geddes described Les as the “Rhino Whisperer”, saying he was known internationally for his wildlife conservation work.
In a public Facebook post, he expressed anger and distress over the attack on his friends.
“This attack on our old people is despicable beyond words,” Geddes wrote.
In further comments supplied to Rekord, he criticised what he described as police treating the incident as an ordinary house robbery despite the prolonged torture inflicted on the couple.
He also alleged that residents believed the same three attackers had been involved in several attacks in the area and accused police of failing to act.
Suspects in the farm attack.
SRU warned that firearms stolen during attacks could potentially be used in further crimes, placing neighbouring residents, farms, businesses and security personnel at risk.
The organisation urged rural residents to report suspicious activity immediately, keep panic buttons accessible and ensure their alarm systems were operational.
Residents were advised to remain inside when noticing suspicious movement or hearing unusual noises, secure doors and windows, and allow security personnel to investigate.
SRU also encouraged households to maintain contact with neighbours and local security structures and ensure everyone knew whom to contact in an emergency.
Rekord contacted police for comment and was informed that a statement was still being compiled. This article will be updated as soon as the statement is received.
The Broederstroom attack follows two other brutal farm attacks in South Africa less than a week earlier.
Donovan Marx, a 50-year-old cattle farmer, was reportedly shot, stabbed and tortured on his property in Syferfontein, between Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom in North West, on Wednesday, October 28.
Five suspects aged between 26 and 56 were arrested following operations by Ventersdorp detectives and the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit. Police reportedly seized four firearms, two of which were linked to the attack, as well as clothing and jewellery.
The suspects were scheduled to appear before the Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom magistrate’s courts on charges including house robbery, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
In another attack, a Hammanskraal homeowner was beaten and forced to open his safe at a property in Vasfontein during the early hours of Tuesday, 27 October, as previously reported by Rekord.
According to police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk, three men broke into the home, fired a shot and struck the homeowner on the forehead before fleeing with cash and household items.
A separate report from the local neighbourhood watch and CPF identified the homeowner as Tsepo Baloyi and alleged that he was repeatedly struck on the head, neck and shoulders with a crowbar. That report listed two pistols among the stolen items, although police had not confirmed the detailed inventory.
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