Smithfield, Free State – Two suspects have been arrested following a violent house robbery on a farm in the Smithfield area on Sunday afternoon, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed.
According to police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle, the incident occurred on 3 August 2025 at approximately 13:30, when an elderly couple, aged 78 and 81, returned to their farm after attending church.
The wife was accosted by two unknown assailants while approaching the kitchen door. The suspects, armed with knives, assaulted and threatened her before dragging her back to her husband, who was still approaching the house.
“The house was ransacked, and the suspects took cellphones, cash, jewellery, and also forced the husband to make a money deposit. The suspects then pushed the husband into his own vehicle and drove off with him. They later abandoned him in the driveway of the farm before fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle,” Earle said.
“The victims activated local farmers and contacted the police, who responded swiftly. Soon after the incident, two men, aged 29 and 36, were arrested on the road to Bethulie. Cash and the stolen vehicle were recovered.”
The Provincial Commissioner of the Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane, has assigned the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit to lead the investigation. Forensic teams have already processed the crime scene.
“The seamless cooperation between the community, our rural safety partners, and SAPS units ensured these suspects were taken off the streets before sunset,” Motswenyane said.
“This is a textbook example of integrated rural safety.”
The suspects remain in custody and face multiple charges, including house robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of suspected stolen property.
The investigation is ongoing.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
