The Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has commended the swift action of the police, which led to the arrest of three suspects allegedly involved in a Northern Cape farm murder.
An elderly couple, aged 79 and 83, and their daughter, aged 50, were allegedly robbed and kidnapped on their farm in Magogong, outside Hartswater, on Sunday.
The body of the 50-year-old has since been found.
Committee chairperson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela has welcomed the arrests of three suspects, and emphasised that they must face the full might of the law.
“Our justice system must send out a strong message that there is no place in our democracy for such callous and inhumane acts. We appeal to the SAPS to leave no stone unturned to find the missing couple and to bring the alleged perpetrators of this heinous crime to book.
“We have repeatedly condemned attacks on farms and farmers as acts of gross criminality, which is detrimental to the social cohesion that our young democracy needs,” Mandela said.
Mandela has expressed heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
He also appealed to farmers, farm dwellers and rural communities to always be on the alert and to assist in intelligence gathering, which may assist in reducing the incidence of violent crime on farms.
“We applaud SAPS for its swift response and trust that the early breakthrough in the arrest of suspects sends a strong message to others that crime does not pay and that the full weight of the law shall come down hard on perpetrators of such senseless acts,” Mandela said.