Andre van Biljon dies of gunshot wounds after farm robbery

Andre van Biljon, 70, succumbed to the gunshot wounds he sustained in a farm robbery at his home in Oranjeville, Free State. His son, former Springbok hooker, Lukas van Biljon, was also wounded during the robbery.

READ: Former Springbok hooker stabbed, his father shot during farm robbery

VAN BILJON FATHER AND SON ATTACKED IN ROBBERY

As previously reported, six armed suspects entered the family’s small holding in Oranjeville on Saturday.

“…as Mr André van Biljon, 70, tried to call for backup from other farmers on a radio, the perpetrators fired several shots. Mr Van Biljon sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and hand,” said police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle.

Lukas, 47, was stabbed several times by the intruders, who also tied up the children with cable ties.

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ARRESTED SUSPECTS TO APPLY FOR BAIL

Two of the suspects were arrested. Khanye Muthi, 32, and Latin Mofokeng, 42, appeared in the Helibron Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 29 May.

Earle confirmed that the attempted murder charge they faced had been changed to murder following Andre’s passing.

The case against Muthi and Mofokeng was postponed to 5 June for a formal bail application.

On Tuesday, during the fourth quarter crime statistics release, the South African Police Service (SAPS) revealed that over 6000 people were murdered in the first 90 days of 2023.

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This article was originally published by STORM SIMPSON.