Four masked robbers target elderly man in Somerset West farm attack

Somerset West police are investigating a case of house robbery after a 72-year-old man was ambushed by four unknown robbers on Wednesday, October 29.

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the victim was at home on a farm close to Firgrove when he was awoken by barking dogs at around 11pm. 

“He went outside to look, and upon his return, he found four unidentified men inside the residence. The suspects' faces were covered with balaclavas, and they were wearing hand gloves. The suspects tied the complainant's hands and went through the house. The suspects took firearms, ammunition, jewellery, and expensive wine and fled the scene,” he said.

Captain Van Wyk added that the victim managed to untie himself at around 1am and contacted the police.

Ian Cameron, a member of parliament, said: “This incident is yet another reminder of the escalating violence facing rural South Africans, where heavily armed attackers continue to strike at vulnerable communities with little fear of consequence.”

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) also condemned the attack and vowed to continue fighting for the rural areas.

“This incident substantiates the Freedom Front Plus’s argument that farm attacks and murders are not ordinary crimes. They are targeted, violent offences often characterised by extreme brutality. 

“The government's constant failure to prioritise rural safety betrays the people who produce food, create jobs, and sustain communities. The party will keep applying pressure on both the national and provincial levels, demanding a concrete safety plan for rural areas,” the political party said in a statement.

In August, two guests in their sixties survived a brutal panga attack and robbery at Chamonix Wine Farm in Franschhoek. Three masked suspects entered the premises and attacked the two victims with a panga and fled with undisclosed items.