Share

Saving grace: Bullet meant for 82-year-old lodges in her Bible

An elderly woman escaped death during a farm attack after a bullet missed her and became lodged in her Bible.

The attack reportedly took place on Saturday night outside Mahikeng in the North West.

Netwerk24 reported that Bettie Nel, 82, was woken by noises and encountered two attackers in the passage of the house.

After throwing a doorstop at them, a shot was fired and the suspects fled.

The bullet missed Nel and hit the Bible on the side table next to her bed.

Nel's daughter, Noeline Ferreira, 61, and Ferreira's boyfriend, Thys Pienaar, 63, sustained head injuries after reportedly being attacked in bed with the handle of a pickaxe and a flashlight.

Netwerk24 reports that six suspects stole a firearm and cellphones. According to that publication, no one has been arrested.

Murder rate up by 6.9%

Last week, AgriSA condemned what it called "the continued violence that the farming community and fellow South Africans face daily".

This followed the announcement of the 2017/18 national crime statistics in Parliament on Tuesday.

During the period under review, South Africa's murder rate increased by 6.9%.

In real numbers, this means that a total of 20 336 people were murdered in South Africa in the past year, 1 320 more than in the previous year.

Sixty-two of these were categorised as farm murders: 12 in Gauteng, nine each in Limpopo and the North West, eight each in Mpumalanga and the Free State, seven in KwaZulu-Natal, and three each in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape

Read Netwerk24's full report here.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 490 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 695 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.88
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE