Xenophobic double-murders: 'new black farmers' Andrew and Loryn Monakane 39 murdered in xenophobic attack, De Wetsdorp.
2014-05-24 Jaco Nel writes in the Afrikaans weekly Rapport:
"The farm Graigmont - home of the 39-year-old farming couple Andrew and Loryn Monakane, now stands empty and desolate in the ruthless chill of the Free State winter.
The farming couple, which were given the farm under the ANC regime's redistribution of farms programme,
were murdered in early May 2014 in a horror-night on their farm between Dewetsdorp and (the former mission station) Botshabelo.
Three black males were arrested very quickly and their trial starts at the De Wetsdorp court on 29 May.
Nel quotes the SAPS as saying that stolen items were recovered: a plasma-TV, a pistol, and the couple's double-cabbed farm-truck were confiscated during the arrest of
Ismael Mafosi, 35, Teboho Frans Khoantle, 31, and Johannes Pitseng, 32 of Botshabelo.
Mr Monakane was shot dead at the scene. His wife Loryn was beaten up and gang-raped. She reportedly was taken to hospital for treatment.
However upon her return to her homestead, she collapsed and died.
After the double-murder family members of the Monakane couple removed all the household goods fearing they would be plundered.
They left behind a hungry kitten, blood stains on the walls and a forgotten note from their 11-year-old daughter Mami who wrote:
"Dear Mama, I just want to say hello to you because I know I love you. Mama, I love you so much.”
Mami now lives with her grandmother in Botshabelo.
SAPS sergeant Yanga Ngcukana was quoted as saying that 'fortunately she wasn't home on the night of the attack".
The Monakane couple's livestock herder is looking for another job. "I don't get money any more, and am only looking after the cattle,' he told Jaco Nel.
The pig sties are empty and nobody knows where the sheep and chickens disappeared to...
The herdsman said he doesn't know who has to look after the animals now: the homestead was emptied so quickly by the traumatised relatives that
they didn't make arrangements with him.
The Monakane couple were granted the right to farm on the smallholding together with other 'new black farmers' who had land distributed in the De Wetsdorp region.
The journalist claims that the remaining black farmers 'are systematically making a success of their farming enterprise with the limited means available to them'.
One of his neighbours Johannes Lemphane on the Kilmanok smallholding, said
"even though the farm is small, we do big business here. But these people (the killers of the Monakane couple) terrify me. Tomorrow they might come and shoot me too.'
"I knew Andrew well. All the farmers in the area are pals including the white farmers. whenever there's trouble, they help us,' he was quoted as saying.
This was confirmed by Willie Lombard, chairman of the local farmers' association at De Wets Dorp.
"Andrew was a good man. He definitely was a gain to farming, attending all the farmers' association meetings arranged here. He was very involved.'
http://www.rapport.co.za/Nuus/Nuus/Suksesvolle-plaas-stort-ineen-na-wrede-moord-op-egpaar-20140524
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