South African police arrested five men in connection with a brutal assault on cattle farmer Donovan Marx, 50, in Ventersdorp, a town in the North West province. Marx was attacked during a house robbery on his farm last Wednesday, when he was shot in the upper body, stabbed and had his ears cut off, police said.
The attackers, who were masked and armed with guns, first approached a farm worker mowing the lawn, demanded information about Marx, and then tied the worker’s hands and feet with cable ties. When Marx returned home, two suspects allegedly shot him, dragged him inside, bound him, stabbed him and ransacked the house, taking three firearms from a safe before fleeing with Marx’s van.
Marx was rushed to hospital where he remains, though surgeons could not save his ears and he may require prosthetic replacements. The five suspects, aged between 26 and 56, will appear in local courts on Tuesday on charges of house robbery, attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Police praised the swift arrests and called for a thorough investigation.
