Seven farm attacks were noted in South Africa in January 2024; an unusually low number.

There were 18 farm attacks reported in December, 16 reported in November, and 18 in October 2023. Ten of those attacks resulted in homicides. [Farm Attack Archives - South Africa Today]

• Pieter Venter, 34, his wife Stephenie, 34, and their son Jayden Swart, 13, suffered serious stab wounds during an attack at their farm in Andeon in the west of Pretoria in Gauteng province.

After returning from a trip after midnight, the family found unwelcome guests in their home.

Angela Laidlaw, Stephanie’s sister, was quoted by rnnews.co.za.

“Jayden heard something was wrong, after which he went to investigate. When he walked into the bedroom door, he saw three armed men standing by his parents’ bed.

“He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a broom to hit one of the thugs with it. However, they then pounced on him and started stabbing him with knives they found in the kitchen,” says an emotional Laidlaw.

“They literally attacked him mercilessly with knives,” she says.

[‘Carnage’ after family attacked with knives in Pta, by Henry Walsh, January 8, 2024]

• A family was held at gunpoint at their Smallholding 128 Akelei farm in Gauteng province.

Stolen were cellphones and cash.

• An 85-year-old man and an elderly woman were assaulted at their farm in Port Elizabeth in Eastern Cape province.

The couple was beaten by a lone attacker with a wooden club called a knobkerry.

• A farm manager was shot at Makulbalaan Plantation in Lydenburgg, Mpumalanga province.

Four attackers were reported and no items were reported stolen.

The victim was armed and managed to wound one of the attackers before escaping. Reports say the victim’s wound resulted in a broken leg bone. The wounded attacker left a trail of blood.

[Farm foreman fires back at farm attackers, injures one—Lydenburg, southafricatoday.net, January 11, 2024]

• 21-year-old Aefje Botma was threatened and assaulted at Bokefontein farm in North West province.

Three attackers made off with a TV, cellphone, and generator.

• Four elderly victims—two males ages 63 and 85 and two females ages 63 and 88—were attacked at the Hanmoeskraal farm in George, Western Cape province.

A crowbar, or  ″koevoet’″ in Afrikaans, was used in the attack causing one victim to suffer a broken hip.

A Volkswagen was stolen along with cash.

• Ben Slabbert managed to avert an attack at a farm in Heilbron in Free State province.

[7 Farm attacks, 0 farm murders in South Africa, January 2024, no attribution, southafricatoday.net, February 7, 2024]