WHILE no arrests have yet been made, Empangeni detectives are currently following strong leads in connection with the attack on an elderly couple in Heatonville last week.
Empangeni police spokesperson Captain Mbongeni Mdalose emphasised that the incident on ‘Plaas Nie Te Koop’ in Heatonville cannot be labelled as a farm attack.
‘This is not a farm attack because the victims reside on a smallholding.
‘No arrests have been made, but our detectives are currently following some strong leads and we are hoping to bring these suspects to book soon,’ he said.
On Wednesday last week Bruce Harvey and his wife Denise were brutally attacked and assaulted at their smallholding when three suspects awaited their arrival home at 5pm.
Bruce was stabbed with a screwdriver and suffered injuries to his head, stomach and arm.
Denise was not spared either. She was shoved into a bush and forced to the ground where one suspect sat on her to keep her from getting away.
The ZO last week reported that after rummaging through the Harveys’ home, the suspects brazenly sat down at the kitchen table and helped themselves to cheese and liver pate before their victims arrived.
Their vehicle was also stolen.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance in uThungulu has condemned the attack.
According to DA Councillor Louis Fourie, since the beginning of February 44 farms have come under attack and 17 people have been killed.
‘These numbers seem to be increasing. Our rural communities are under attack and rural crime is not being addressed by our law enforcement authorities.
‘The DA condemns violence on or near farms, no matter who commits it.
‘We have long been calling for rural safety units within the SAPS, and as more and more cases of rural violence arise, the national government must act with haste,’ he said.
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