A farmer from Glenharvie is recovering in a Johannesburg hospital after being shot multiple times in an early morning attack.
According to Jaco Taute, chairman of the Red Meat Producers Organization and a member of the Gauteng TLU’s central safety committee, his neighbor Adriaan Vos called him around 1:00 AM, pleading for help after being shot.
Vos, who farms on Elandfontein, about two kilometers outside Glenharvie, woke up to his dogs barking. When he stepped onto his balcony to investigate, attackers opened fire, hitting him in the leg. Despite his injuries, he managed to reach his pickup truck and drive to Taute’s home for help. However, the assailants continued shooting at him as he approached his gate.
Taute, along with his wife and son, treated Vos’s wounds—he had been shot at least three times in the arm and leg—before calling an ambulance. Emergency services arrived around 3:00 AM and transported him to the hospital.
While Vos was receiving medical attention, the attackers set his wooden house on fire, burning it to the ground. His birds perished in the blaze, but two of his puppies, initially feared dead, were later found alive.
Vos lived alone on the farm, and the attack highlights growing concerns about crime targeting farmers in the area. According to Taute, incidents of cattle theft and violent robberies are escalating, with little progress from law enforcement in addressing the crisis.
He urges farmers to enhance their security and, if possible, legally arm themselves. “Every farm is different, and farmers must assess their own security needs,” Taute advised.
The attack has sparked renewed calls for stronger measures to protect South Africa’s rural communities.
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