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'Here's R200, go see a doctor'
03/04/2007 08:00 - (SA)
Tom de Wet
Koppies - A young man from Koppies who was badly injured when a group of farmers pulled him off the road and accusing him of stock theft, badly beat him up.
When the leader of the group attacking Johan Venter, 21, realised they had made a mistake, they gave him R200 to have the wounds to his head stitched up.
Charges of attempted murder and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm have been laid against one of the five farmers.
Shots were fired and the evidence, bullets as well as shells, were picked up by farmworkers.
Venter's mother, Felicity Hunter of Rooipoort near Koppies said her son took one of their workers by car to a neighbouring farm on Sunday afternoon so that he could visit his brother, who had been in a car accident.
On the way home they were forced off the road by four vehicles. The driver of one of the vehicles got out and immediately began to beat Venter with his fists.
The farmer accused Venter of stealing cattle, and allegedly used a cattle prod to shock the young man.
Hunter said her son suffered various open cuts to his head and concussion.
Farmworkers tried to stop the farmer, at which he fired a number of shots. No one was hit.
After one of the workers convinced the farmer of Venter's innocence, he offered to write out a cash cheque for Venter.
Venter, who was thoroughly disorientated, did not want to accept it, at which the farmer phoned one of his friends to bring cash.
The farmer (whose name is known to Volksblad) pushed R200 into Venter's hands and told him to get his head stitched up.
When Venter got home, his mother took him straight to the police charge office, where charges were laid.
No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
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