The murder of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner on 1 October thrust the normally quiet towns of Paul Roux, Senekal and Bethlehem into the national spotlight.
His death sparked massive outrage. Protests, racial tension, and reports of alleged corrupt police officials all made headlines in the days and weeks following his death.
Between 1 000 and 1 500 people, including farmers, peacefully protested at a nearby taxi rank when Sekola Matlaletsa and Sekwetje Mahlamba, the men accused of killing Horner, made their first appearance in the Senekal Magistrate's Court.