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Pietermaritzburg - A Camperdown farmer has been murdered for items valued at around R300.
A robber gang apparently failed in attempts to break into a neighbouring farm and turned instead to Krishnadhaven Soobramoney Govender’s property to seek out their loot.
The wife and sons of Govender, 50, a farmer and businessman, watched in horror as he was gunned down at their Killarney Isles home near Camperdown during the early hours of Tuesday morning.
According to police sources, the family were accosted by seven armed men who stormed into their home while they were asleep at about 01:30.
It is believed the men gained entry into the property by cutting through an electric fence and broke into the house via the kitchen window.
The men ransacked the house and by the time the family had awoken because of the disturbance, the brazen robbers were already outside Govender’s bedroom door.
Scuffle
It is believed that a struggle began when the men threatened his wife and his two sons.
During the scuffle, the robbers opened fire, wounding Govender.
Police sources said Govender eventually managed to get hold of his own firearm and returned fire, but the men managed to escape.
Govender died as a result of his wounds shortly after.
The men escaped with two cellphones and a small amount of cash, which police sources said totalled about R300.
It is believed that the men may be from the Mpumalanga settlement in the Hammarsdale area, only about an hour away from the scene of the murder.
“The sugarcane surrounding the farms makes it very difficult to track suspects, especially at night,” said a source.
Magma Security director Shaheen Suleiman said his guards had responded to an attempted break-in at a neighbouring farm only an hour before the shooting.
Suleiman said he believes the men responsible for Govender’s murder had tried to cut through an electric fence at a neighbouring property when the alarm was triggered.
“My guards went out to the property and did a perimeter check and found nobody in the area. Although Govender is not one of Magma’s clients, the family have asked us to assist in the investigation,” Suleiman said.
'He loved people'
The Witness visited the farm on Tuesday morning and found grieving family members standing outside the house.
A close family member, who asked not to be named, said Govender owned logistics company Krish’s Carriers, and his life revolved around his business, farm, family and friends.
“He loved people. He was an entertainer and when anybody needed help, he would be the first one to offer his services,” the family member said.
“His trucks and his farm animals were his hobby, and I do not know how we will cope without him.”
His wife was too distraught to speak to The Witness on Tuesday.
The KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union’s Koos Marais said they were “most concerned” at news of another murder in the farming community.
Marais said this incident takes the total number of murdered farm owners in the province to five since the beginning of 2015.
“We again caution people in isolated areas to take extreme precautions to prevent attacks,” Marais said.
Govender is survived by his wife and four sons. His funeral takes place at the farm on Wednesday.
