A farm attacker standing next to a motionless Johan van Wyk, who was seriously injured after being shot multiple times in a farm attack on November 11, wanted to know what a box of rose petals on the dining room table would be used for.

When Van Wyk’s fiancée Hanlie Barnard said it was to be used at their wedding in December, the attacker laughed and kicked Van Wyk, saying: “Why would you marry a dead man?” Rapport reported on Sunday.

The suspect and three accomplices then reportedly fled.

Van Wyk’s son Tony, who is in matric, spoke to Rapport following the gruesome attack on the family on their chicken farm close to Lanseria in Gauteng. 

News24 earlier reported that police were on the hunt for the gunmen who had shot Van Wyk eight times.

According to Diepsloot police spokesperson Captain Tinyiko Mathebula, Van Wyk was treated at Helen Joseph Hospital and was in a stable condition.

Looking for weapons

Cases of house robbery and attempted murder are under investigation.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said Van Wyk had been sitting on his veranda on that Sunday evening when the armed robbers approached him and started shooting.

The man was taken to his lounge where Barnard, her mother and his four children were gathered.

The children, aged 6, 11, 13 and 18, were unharmed.

Two of them escaped through a side door and ran to a neighbour’s house where they called for help. The robbers apparently shot at them, but missed.

According to the neighbour, the robbers were looking for weapons and threatened the 13-year-old girl by holding a gun to her head, demanding to know where the weapons were.

However, there were no guns on the property, the neighbour added.

The robbers apparently took cellphones, television sets and jewellery, according to the neighbour.

He said a pair of red and white takkies, a bag, a pocket knife and a beanie worn by one of the robbers were found on the scene.

According to the neighbour, the children are with family members.

A woman who witnessed the arrival of the family at Life Fourways Hospital said they appeared to be in shock and were covered in blood when they arrived.

No arrests have been made.

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