Five Arrested Over Brutal Attack on South African Farmer

South African police have arrested five suspects in connection with a brutal attack on a cattle farmer who was shot, stabbed and tortured during a robbery at his farm.

Donovan Marx, 50, was attacked last Wednesday during a robbery at his home in Ventersdorp, a town in the North West province.

According to police, Marx was ambushed as he returned home. He was shot in the upper body, stabbed and had both ears cut off during the ordeal.

Police said a group of masked men armed with guns first approached a worker who was mowing the lawn at Marx’s property. The attackers demanded to know where the farmer was before tying the worker’s hands and feet with cable ties.

When Marx arrived, two of the suspects allegedly approached him and shot him. They then dragged him into the house, restrained him and stabbed him.

The suspects ransacked the property, stole three firearms from a safe and escaped in Marx’s van.

The farm worker later managed to free himself and call for help.

Marx was rushed to hospital, where he remains. Local media outlet IOL reported that he may require prosthetic ears after surgeons were unable to save his own.

All five suspects were arrested over the weekend. Marx’s wife and family welcomed the arrests, saying the legal process must now take its course.

South Africa’s Agriculture Minister, Willie Aucamp, condemned the attack, saying there was no place in the country for such “senseless and barbaric” acts.

Ian Cameron, chair of Parliament’s police committee, also praised officers for the arrests and called for a strong and properly investigated case.

The suspects, aged between 26 and 56, are expected to appear in court on Tuesday. They face charges including house robbery, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The attack has sparked widespread outrage in a country already struggling with high levels of violent crime.

Some right-wing groups have used attacks on white farmers, many of whom belong to the Afrikaner community, to promote claims of a genocide against white people in South Africa. The claims have been widely discredited and rejected by political parties in the country, including those representing Afrikaners.

However, US President Donald Trump has repeated the claims and offered white Afrikaners asylum in the United States.

South Africa’s latest crime statistics, covering April to June 2026, do not provide a specific figure for farm attacks. They recorded only one robbery in a rural area during the period.

Police data also show that most crime victims in the country, including in farming areas, are black.