- A Frankfort farmworker was attacked by a group of men who stole ten pregnant sheep.
- The man was threatened with a knife.
- The sheep were later found slaughtered.
Free State police are investigating a case of theft after a Frankfort farmworker was attacked on Friday night by a group of men who stole ten pregnant sheep and slit their throats.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele confirmed the incident to News24.
He said the sheep were slaughtered at Rouxdeel farm in Villiers. Their estimated value is R20 000, he said.
Speaking to News24 on Monday, farmer Bennie Jonker said on the day of the incident he dropped off some of his workers in town and when he came back at around 19:30 "everything seemed fine" on the farm.
However, at 20:00 one of the farm workers was attacked in his room.
At first, the farmworker thought a neighbour had come to visit him - when he opened the door a group of men asked whether he knew Platkop farm.
The man was threatened with a knife, his hands and feet were tied with wire, and he was thrown on top of his bed.
The suspects then left the man in the room and stole ten sheep.
They also used a wire to pull the sheep next to the neighbour’s fence, Jonker said.
"They slaughtered them right next to the fence," he said.
The group allegedly also stole the neighbour’s ten sheep and slaughtered them.
"The next morning [Saturday] the neighbour saw the sheep there and contacted me and I went to my worker’s house and I found him tied up on his bed – and I released him and helped him because he was really sore he was lying there the whole night tied up,” Jonker said.
"This experience is bloody traumatic - that worker of mine could have been easily killed. If they can slaughter a sheep, then they can slaughter a human as well. It is really traumatic for all of us," he added.
Jonker said he believed the thieves decided to slaughter the sheep after their bakkie had broken down.
He also said two weeks ago, two of his cattle were stolen.
"We experience stock theft a lot," he said.
Meanwhile, Brigadier Makhele said no arrests have yet been made, adding officers are investigating a case of robbery with a weapon other than firearm.
Anyone with information was asked to contact station commander Colonel Pitso Mokhele on 082 312 0374.