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3 in court after farmer's murder

Johannesburg - Three men will appear in the Kuruman Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with the murder of a Northern Cape farmer.

Christo Kruger, 64, was killed by a single gunshot through a locked security door on his farm Byron, near Kuruman, on May 28.

Nothing was stolen. He had apparently gotten up to investigate why his dogs were restless.

Last Friday, a third suspect was arrested in connection with the crime. A hunting rifle was confiscated from his house. 

Earlier this month, two farmworkers, Frank Itumelen, 22, and Ben Thabo, 19, appeared in court in connection with the murder. They had previously worked on the farm.

In March this year, national police commissioner Riah Phiyega said police records indicated a 30% drop in farm murders since 2010. She said police figures showed that 271 people were murdered on farms or small-holdings in the past 5 years.

Farmers’ organisation TAU said that according to its channels, such as social media, there were at least 63 murders in 2012, 62 in 2013, and 67 in 2014.

In January, deputy AfriForum CEO, Ernst Roets, said farm murders were increasing.

"We have found that in the last five years there has been a gradual increase, not only in farm attacks, but also in farm murders across South Africa," he said.

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