Police in Senekal, in the Free State, have arrested two suspects aged 19 and 56 following a shooting incident at a farm near Bethlehem.
Four firearms were seized during the arrests.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday when a 65-year-old farmer from Senekal was inside his workshop and noticed a white bakkie driving past his property.
Approximately 15 minutes later, he heard gunshots and again saw the same vehicle speeding away from the scene. The farmer pursued the vehicle and allegedly recognised the driver as his business partner from Bethlehem.
During the pursuit, the suspect is said to have rammed into the farmer’s bakkie door three times. The farmer was not injured.
Upon returning to his farm, the complainant discovered that his dog had been shot and killed, tractor tyres had been damaged by gunfire, and a portion of his hay had been set alight.
Police further revealed that the suspect had allegedly threatened the complainant in November 2025 via a WhatsApp message, warning that he would kill him following a dispute involving sheep that had been removed through a court order.
On Wednesday, Senekal detectives tracked down and arrested the two suspects. The confiscated firearms will undergo ballistic testing as part of the investigation.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Senekal Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 April 2026. They face charges of attempted murder, malicious damage to property, and animal cruelty.