MBOMBELA -A family member of a couple who were brutally attacked on their farm on Wednesday, confirmed that a suspect has been arrested. Dries Schoeman (70) and his wife Mariaan (68) were attacked and robbed on their farm in Waterval Boven.

Their son-in-law Frans Pieterse told Lowvelder that a suspect had been arrested yesterday in Machadorp after a manhunt had been launched by police and Afriforum members. “They found all the stolen items on him so that is all recovered now.”

On the day of the incident, Mariaan had traveled back from Nelspruit to the farm. “She arrived back on the farm at around 15:30. There was a man waiting for her at the house.”

He said the man tied her hands, ankles, neck and waist with a wire. “It was not barbed wire and then the man waited for Dries to come home.”

When Dries arrived, he tried to help his wife and was assaulted by the suspect with a panga on his head. “He also tied up Dries and assaulted him.”

The man dragged them into the plantation just next to their farm. “There are a lot of Blue Gum trees near the house. He left them there, Mariaan was unconscious. When she woke up the next morning, she managed to untie herself and run for help to the nearest neighbor.

“They only saw one man but there must have been others helping him as two washing machines, freezer, an electric stove, gas stove, hi-fi, TV and a double bed was taken.”

The suspect had arrived in a bakkie and had taken the trailer belonging to the couple.

“Mariaan has been discharged today from hospital, Dries is still in hospital in Witbank and has a fractured skull. Luckily the doctor said there is light bleeding so they will not operate.”