THE stepson and wife of Alheit Smit, a Lismor farm owner, are among seven people who were brutally murdered on Friday, 15 July, in Kestell, Free State.
Binto Smith (55) and her son Rudi Smith (17) were with five farm workers during the brutal attack at their farm.
Alheit told Daily Sun: “I’m still shocked. I really don’t know where to start.
“I have lost two family members. The perpetrators must rot in jail for what they did.”
The dead farm workers were identified as Nokufa Monareng (30), Lerato Moloi (33), Mothoduwa Moloi (36), Nomasonto Zulu (56), and Nomasontsha Maduna (43).
The police have arrested two suspects and they’re expected to appear in the the Kestell Magistrate Court on Monday, 18 July. with the attack. They were arrested on a road just outside Bohlokong, Bethlehem with a shotgun and a pellet gun believed to have been stolen from the farm house and were also recovered with the possibility that one of the firearms could be the murder weapon.
Kheleni Radebe, who lost her elder sister and aunt, said they wanted to see justice being served.
Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela said: “This is a very dark period in our province.”
I would like to extend our profound condolences to the families of the deceased,” said Ntombela.
government will send social workers to the bereaved families to provide counselling.
“We know how senseless the South African law is. Those heartless perpetrators must not be released on bail.”
No amount of words can explain how hurt we are now. If our justice system fail us we will opt for public prosecution. We wish to applaud the police for making an arrest within no time,” said Kheleni.
The attack comes a few months after the massacre of five family members at Toekoms farm near Harrismith.
