Three ruthless men are due to appear before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court after being arrested for allegedly plotting a farm attack which left a woman dead.
The suspects also robbed the family of their belongings in this horrific incident which occurred yesterday, Wednesday 30 September 2020 at Sundra near Delmas.
According to preliminary investigations, on the said day, Chantel Kershaw, aged 44, was preparing to resume her daily duties on the farm.
She informed her employee to assist her in loading a lawn mower into the bakkie and that is when she saw two armed men inside the yard. The men are said to have instructed the employee to take off his clothes before tying him up and further told him to lie down.
The suspects attacked the woman despite her screaming for help, allegedly strangled her to death and went to the house where they assaulted Kershaw’s mom with a firearm.
As if that was not enough, the suspects helped themselves to the victims’ belongings and locked a female employee in the bathroom before fleeing the scene in a white Chevrolet LDV bakkie that they stole from the family.
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Kershaw’s mom alerted the neighbourhood watch team about what had happened.
Police also received information and whilst on their way, a high-speed chase ensued between the suspects and the neighbourhood watch group which resulted in the vehicle driven by the suspects overturning at the R50 road near Delmas.
The suspects crawled out of the car and tried to escape but were caught shortly thereafter. They were both handed over to the police who arrested them.
The police opened a case of murder and robbery where they conducted their probe which led them recovering a firearm inside the overturned vehicle.
A firearm magazine with ammunition was also recovered at the place where one of the suspects was hiding. Other items found there include belongings which police believe were stolen from the victims and further than that, a jacket which had blood stains was also seized.
Police continued with their investigation and arrested a third man, aged 40.
This man is an employee at the farm who was earlier made to take off his clothes. It surfaced that all the drama of the man being tied up was nothing else but an act.
The police believe that he too was part of the plot to murder Kershaw as well as to steal the belongings.
The three are expected to appear at the Delmas Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, 02 October 2020.
The suspects are also facing additional charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as possession of suspected stolen property.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma has strongly condemned the farm attack.
He also welcomed the collaboration between the farming community and the police which led to the arrest of the suspects.
