Swanepoel Gerhardus Stephanus "Buks"

Age 81. On 21 July 2014, Buks Swanepoel and his eighty-year-old wife, Cornelia (Baby) Swanepoel, were confronted during the early afternoon hours on their property. Two men approached the farmhouse under the false pretense of seeking employment. One of the perpetrators was instructed to chop wood and subsequently asked Buks Swanepoel for food. After being provided with food, the assailant remained on the property and waited until Buks Swanepoel walked near him. The attacker then pulled out a firearm and threatened him. A physical struggle ensued, during which the perpetrator bludgeoned Buks Swanepoel over the head with a hammer, causing a severe skull fracture. His wife was also assaulted during the encounter. The perpetrators ransacked the premises, stole an undisclosed amount of cash along with a firearm, and fled the scene. Buks Swanepoel was rushed to the Life Anncron Hospital in Klerksdorp. Due to the severity of his head injuries, his health deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away on 4 August 2014.Regarding arrests and convictions, local farmers and community members successfully tracked down and apprehended a twenty-three-year-old Lesotho national named Tankiso Beleme shortly after the attack. Free State police officers subsequently arrested a second suspect, a twenty-year-old man named Thuli Thabata (also reported as Thabatha), in Orkney on 24 June 2014, who was identified as a former worker on the farm. Following Buks Swanepoel's death, the initial charges of attempted murder were officially upgraded to murder. The legal proceedings were finalized in October 2015. The court found both men guilty of murder and armed robbery, resulting in prison sentences for the perpetrators