TLU SA and the community of Barkly East are shocked by the horrific attack on Martin Cloete, a young farmer and resident of the area, which took place on Saturday evening, 17 August 2024, in the town’s main street.
The 36-year-old Cloete spoke with TLU SA about what exactly happened to him and his girlfriend, Mavis Myburgh, on Saturday night.
After a peaceful day at the Barkly East Golf Club, Cloete left the clubhouse. He recalls driving down Coles Street when a white car suddenly swerved in front of him on Greyvenstein Street. He slowed down to let the other car pass, but the vehicle suddenly stopped, causing Cloete to crash into the back of it.
“When I opened my window to speak to the driver, a group of people who were near the bar approached me,” he explains. “One of them reached into my car to open the door. In an attempt to protect us, I drove off.”
He drove around the block and returned to speak to the driver, but what he encountered was a group of people carrying bricks and stones, he says. A brick struck his windshield on the right side. Cloete tried to escape, but he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a palisade fence. When he attempted to reverse, another brick flew through the passenger-side window.
Myburgh was dragged out of the vehicle but managed to escape and run to the local police station. Cloete was brutally dragged from his vehicle by the large group of people and assaulted. He feared for his life and lost consciousness during the attack.
“I only woke up in the hospital. The police officer who saved me that night told me he thought I was dead. It was only when he heard me groan that he realised I was still alive. I called him on Monday to thank him for saving my life,” Cloete says.
The brutal attack is a tragic reminder of the increasing lawlessness plaguing our country. While TLU SA appreciates the swift action of the SAPS in this case, it is clear that such incidents require immediate and decisive action to prevent further violence and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.
Thero Wink and the rest of the management at TLU SA’s Barkly East branch supported Cloete after the attack and assured him of TLU SA’s full support.
“As an organisation, we recognise that this incident creates a volatile situation in the community,” says Wink on behalf of the management of TLU SA’s Barkly East branch. “We urgently call on the SAPS not only to handle this incident with the necessary seriousness and urgency but also to conduct a thorough evaluation of their actions, or lack thereof, in recent times that have led to these dangerous conditions.”
In South Africa, an average of 80 such attacks are reported daily. This reality cannot be ignored. TLU SA will continue to protect and support farmers but insists on greater and more effective policing to ensure that our communities are safe.
“We will closely monitor this case and work with the relevant authorities to ensure that justice is served for Martin Cloete,” concludes Wink.
