South African Farmer Stabbed, Throat Slit in Latest Farm Murder

A South African farmer has been killed in a stabbing attack in the area of Groenfontein, Gauteng, which lies in-between eMalahleni and Pretoria over the weekend. The male farmer whose name and age have not yet been released by the authorities was stabbed at least five times in the back and his throat slit..At least R300,000 ($16,921) worth of items were stolen from the property including a cellphone, laptop, and Toyota Hilux..Declared dead at the scene, the man's truck was then located on Arbor Road in Randburg, around an hour and 20 minutes west of the farm..What You Need to Know.Police Spokesperson Johan Van Dyk when asked for comment stated that a suspect is yet to be identified in the murder..As previously reported, the word 'Boer' means 'farmer' in Afrikaans but colloquially refers to South Africans of Dutch descent. The EFF–a South African political party which now forms part of the opposition–throughout its history, has used the chant "call the fire brigade/burn the Boer" as well as "kill the Boer/kill the farmer." Despite multiple complaints over the years by various interest groups to the nation's Human Rights Commission, Equality Court, and Supreme Court of Appeal, the chant has not yet been designated as hate speech..The chant 'kill the Boer' is extremely polarizing in South Africa, a country that records hundreds of farm attacks and murders each year..Farm attacks and farm murders in the country are characterized by extreme brutality, including the use of power tools, machetes, and chemicals to torture victims; rape is also common. For example, in August 2023, a couple from the city of Pietermaritzburg was attacked at their smallholding. The female victim was "beaten with a bolt cutter and lead pipes, and eventually stabbed with a spear while her attackers chanted 'kill the Boer, kill the farmer.'".In May, 11 farm attacks and four farm murders were reported, while in June, 14 farm attacks and 4 farm murders occurred. The month of July recorded 16 farm attacks and 3 murders, pointing a rise in non-fatal attacks and a relative stay in the volume of murders..On July 4th, 76-year-old Greitha Opperman was attacked at her farm in Witpoort by a single assailant armed with a hammer. Her nose, teeth and ribs were broken, while the attacker fled with cash..Most recently, on July 20th, 81-year-old Drik Kritzinger and his wife Sarie were attacked at their farm in Cullinan. Sarie survived the attack with severe injuries, while Dirk was tied with wire and beaten to death..So, What Now?.The nature of the Groenfontein murder can only be understood once the order of the attack is confirmed. The lack of information currently available makes it difficult to draw strong conclusions, although the remote location of the farm and the fact that the farmer was stabbed in the back may point to the fact that the attacker/attackers were known to the victim..However, it is also as likely that the victim's throat was slit before he was stabbed, although the lack of information on the existence of any defensive wounds makes this conclusion equally difficult to draw out.