Kameeldrift in Shock After Two Brutal Farm Murders in Four Days

Fear grows in Pretoria’s rural northeast as residents demand protection and justice

The quiet smallholdings of Kameeldrift, northeast of Pretoria, have been shattered by fear and grief after two men were murdered in separate farm attacks just four days apart. The killings, both brutal and deeply unsettling, have sparked renewed concern over rural safety and reignited the national debate on farm security in South Africa.

A Deadly Early Morning Invasion

At around 3am on Sunday, July 28, police responded to a frantic call from a Kameeldrift smallholding. Inside the house, officers found the lifeless body of a 46-year-old man with a fatal gunshot wound to his chest.

According to SAPS spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk, the suspects had forced their way into the home by breaking a sliding door. “Several shots were fired as the victim fought the intruders,” Van Dyk said. The man died at the scene, and the suspects fled before police arrived.

For the local community, the brutality of the attack felt all too familiar and tragically, it wasn’t the first incident that week.

Another Life Lost in Buffelsdrift

Just four days earlier, on July 24, a plot owner in the Buffelsdrift-Kameeldrift area was found tied up and severely assaulted on his own property. His son, watching security footage remotely, saw unfamiliar men walking through the yard. He rushed to the scene, only to find four intruders in flight and his father lying bound and injured outside.

The victim was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

A Community on Edge

The attacks have left residents shaken and angry. Smallholder communities like Kameeldrift often live with a fragile sense of safety, relying heavily on private security networks, neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, and local farm patrols. Many feel abandoned by the state and overwhelmed by the growing brazenness of rural crime.

On social media, Pretoria residents and rural advocacy groups have expressed horror at the news. One Facebook post from a community crime watch page read, “Another senseless killing. We can’t live like this. We need boots on the ground, not just condolences.”

More Than Just Isolated Incidents

Farm attacks remain a deeply divisive and emotive issue in South Africa. While the country’s overall violent crime rate is high, farm crimes have an outsized psychological and economic impact, especially in tight-knit agricultural communities.

According to Agri SA and other rural safety watchdogs, farm attacks are often marked by excessive violence. Critics argue that national crime prevention strategies have done too little to address the unique risks faced by isolated landowners and workers.

In Kameeldrift’s case, residents aren’t just mourning, they’re demanding action.

Police Investigation Underway

Captain Van Dyk confirmed that police investigations into both incidents are ongoing, with no arrests made yet. He urged anyone with information to come forward, stressing that public cooperation could help break the case.

Meanwhile, Kameeldrift residents say they are beefing up their private patrols, installing additional surveillance, and hosting emergency safety briefings.

A Familiar Cry for Help

This isn’t the first time Kameeldrift has made headlines due to violent crime, and sadly, it may not be the last. As Gauteng’s urban sprawl pushes further into what were once rural buffer zones, communities like this one find themselves increasingly exposed.

For now, the message from residents is loud and clear: “We’re not just statistics. We need to feel safe in our own homes.”

{Source: The Citizen}

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