MPUMALANGA – A 70-year-old farmer was subjected to a barbaric attack in the early hours of Saturday morning when criminals poured boiling water over her before chaining, gagging, and leaving her for dead on her farm at Carolina, Mpumalanga.
Rolé Uys was discovered by police tied up and bleeding, with her face covered in tape, in what authorities describe as one of the most brutal farm attacks in recent years in the area. Uys had already survived a similar attack just two months earlier.
The incident took place at approximately 01:20 on Saturday when unknown assailants targeted the elderly farmer’s property. During the attack, two of her workers were abducted by the criminals. One worker was later hospitalised after suffering burns from boiling water poured on their hands.
The breakthrough in the case came when police officers on patrol near a railway line at the Carolina entrance noticed an Isuzu bakkie speeding and running a stop sign towards Badplaas. Recognising the vehicle as belonging to the 70-year-old farmer, officers became suspicious.
“Members immediately started to follow the car, and a chase began. Members became more concerned that something was fishy as an elderly lady would not be driving at such a high speed at that time,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.
While some officers pursued the vehicle, others proceeded to the farm where they found the severely injured Uys. The suspects had fled with several stolen items, including the vehicle, a phone, and a firearm. The two abducted workers were later released, but no arrests have been made.
The attack has drawn fierce condemnation from the Democratic Alliance (DA), with MP Willie Aucamp describing the assault as “barbaric” and “defying comprehension.”
“The cruelty of this assault, where boiling water was poured over Ms Uys before she was chained, gagged and left for dead, defies comprehension,” Aucamp stated. “This incident is yet another reminder of the daily fear faced by farmers and rural residents across South Africa.”
The DA has highlighted the particularly disturbing nature of this being the victims second attack in two months, calling the failure to protect her “appalling.”
“Farm attacks and rural safety remain a national crisis,” Aucamp continued. “Rural South Africans continue to live in fear, often isolated, under-resourced, and too frequently abandoned by those meant to protect them.”
The DA has renewed its calls for the Minister of Police to declare farm attacks, farm murders, and livestock theft as priority crimes. The party argues that the lack of adequate policing, security infrastructure, and rapid response mechanisms leaves rural communities vulnerable to criminals operating with impunity.
“Each new attack tears at the fabric of rural communities and undermines the country’s food security,” Aucamp warned. “Government must urgently prioritise the safety of all rural areas, not just farms.
“The criminals who committed this monstrous act must face the full weight of the law,” Aucamp concluded, as calls grow louder for decisive government action to protect those who live and work in South Africa’s rural areas.
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