Issue 164 - FREE
23 FEBRUARY 2018
Community News. Original - accurate - first
017 631 1903 / 017 631 1845 • admin@thebulletin.co.za • 1 Kiewiet Street, Secunda (Lake Umuzi)
Community mourns Hans
“A righteous man with a huge heart” That is how Koos Meyer (45) describes his father, Hans (70). Hans Meyer, or Short Hans Meyer as he was called, was killed Friday night, when he was shot after three robbers entered his home at about 21H30. The attack took place on his farm Vogelvlei, close to Charl Cilliers. A farm that Hans Meyer has lived on his entire life. Here he retired three years ago as a crop farmer and started to concentrate on cattle. “He was an expert in cattle” says Koos, “in particular the Drakensberger cattle.” “Hans was someone that was well known in the area and was loved by all that knew him regardless of their colour,” says Koos. Hans was a typical Afrikaans man and very sincere. He had an excellent relationship with his workers. Diabetes that was left untreated for a long time left Hans weak and frail. He could easily have been overpowered according to Koos. “They came to kill my father. I am extremely upset,” says Koos, “my father was not an aggressive person and one has to ask WHY? If they wanted to steal why did they not just do that?”
According to SAPS Provincial Spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, three armed men entered the house when Hans and his wife Ilse (69) were watching TV, demanding the keys to the safe. The first words they uttered to Hans and Ilse were “tonight we are going to kill you!” says Koos. The couple were taken to the bedroom and the robbers took the safe keys. No questions were asked. Koos explained that there was an attempt to access their safe about two weeks ago but the thieves could not open the safe. “We suspect that they wanted the firearms and that these were the same people.” The robbers shot Hans in the lounge after opening the safe. They also shot the two dogs that were in the house. Ilse received very rough treatment throughout the ordeal but is a strong woman and is coping well with the situation at the moment. The robbers took jewellery, firearms, cash, cellphone and a laptop before fleeing in Hans’s Ford Ranger. Five male suspects and one female suspect were arrested in connection with the attack on, and murder of
Hans Meyer. The five males aged between 35 and 39 and a female aged 35 will appear in Evander Magistrate’s Court on February 20. Three males will appear for murder and house robbery and two males and the female will appear for possession of firearms and stolen property. The police received information which led to the arrest of the five males and one female. The three who
Some of the recovered items
are charged with murder and house robbery were found with the boots and the firearm of the deceased. The other two were found in possession of the TV, Rifles and ammunition. All of them were arrested at Embalenhle (near Secunda). The female was arrested at Emzinoni (near Bethal) after the cellphone was tracked and found in her possession. The vehicle belonging to the deceased was found burnt at Emzinoni.