Scheepers Gert

the 67-year-old owner and manager of the popular Dube Private Game Lodge located near Brits in the North West province, died following a brutal farm attack that originally took place on Tuesday evening, 28 February 2023.The direct cause of death was complications from severe, trauma-induced head injuries sustained during the violent home invasion on the property, which left him critically injured and from which he never fully recovered over the subsequent two and a half years.The incident unfolded at approximately 20:00 when Gert Scheepers and his 64-year-old wife, Celia, were sitting outside on the veranda of their home, which is located directly inside the boundaries of the wildlife reserve.The couple was suddenly ambushed and overpowered by two armed men wearing balaclavas.The perpetrators aggressively assaulted the couple, focusing heavily on Gert Scheepers, who was subjected to a severe beating that inflicted catastrophic trauma to his head and skull.After incapacitating the owners, the attackers ransacked the home and looted a small number of household electronics, specifically fleeing the scene on foot with a television set and two cellular phones.Paramedics from the Hartbeespoort Emergency Medical Services arrived at the reserve to treat the couple, immediately rushing Gert Scheepers to a nearby hospital due to his life-threatening neurological and cranial trauma.He survived the initial onslaught but spent months in intensive care and specialized medical facilities, entering a prolonged period of declining health due to the permanent damage caused by the assault.Gert Scheepers passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday evening, 19 October 2025, triggering widespread mourning across the local tourism and farming communities.Following his passing, civil rights organizations like the AfriForum Risk and Trauma Unit publicly recognized his death as another life lost directly due to the long-term impact of South African farm attacks.