Four men who posed as police officers and had false police identification cards with them attacked three farm workers on the Koffiefontein farm near Rosendal in the Free State.
The four armed men, according to Brig. Police spokesman Sam Makhele showed up at the farm about 22:00 on Monday.
They told the three farm workers they were from the police and learned that there was marijuana in a storeroom on the farm.
They showed police identification cards, which were apparently forged, to the workers.
The men told a women worker to stay home with the children.
Makhele said the attackers fired a firearm at the men and took the workers’ cellphones away from them.
The men were tied with a waistband, shoelaces and a T-shirt.
The robbers took the farmstead’s keys to the farmworkers and unlocked the storeroom on the farmyard.
They showed police identification cards, which were apparently forged, to the workers.
They used a welding machine, electric drill, electric extension cords, a two-way radio, beef feed and keys with a remote control device.
The robbers fled the scene by vehicle.
According to information on a safety group, two red vehicles were seen in the area.
The victim’s employer was not at the farm during the incident.
The workers first called for help Tuesday morning.
Police are requesting anyone who can assist with the investigation for sergeants. Call Neo Dlamini on 064 156 8006.
Dr. Jane Buys, safety and risk analyst at Free State Agriculture (FSA), says that compared to 2018, there was definitely an increase in farm attacks in the Free State in November and December.
She says farmworkers are the target in more than half of the cases.
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