Donovan Marx, 50, was pinned down and mutilated by two attackers who burst into his farmhouse between Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp in South Africa on Wednesday, October 28. The attackers shot him in the shoulder and stabbed him in the leg before holding him down and hacking off his ears.
Attack Details
A worker was tied up by the two men, who then entered the farmhouse. The employee reportedly managed to free himself and call for help. The attackers' threat to castrate Mr Marx was thwarted when help arrived, and they fled empty-handed in Mr Marx's car. The farm worker was not hurt, according to reports.
Mr Marx was taken to Mediclinic Potchefstroom hospital, where his condition was described as critical but stable.
Family and Police Response
Pieter Steyn, Mr Marx's brother-in-law, said the farmer was shot in the shoulder and stabbed in the leg, but the family has no idea why. Mr Steyn said his relative has not been able to speak, adding: "What happened just goes to show once again how brutal farm attacks are in South Africa, and these brutal attacks are out of control."
Captain Majang Skalkie, spokesperson for North West Police, said officers were still gathering information and no arrests have been made so far, according to the Daily Mail.
Political Reactions
Dr Corne Mulder, who leads the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party, said: "The attack on Mr Marx was exceptionally brutal and our prayers go out to him and to his loved ones." He added: "We repeatedly point out that farm attacks, as in this case, are frequently accompanied by extreme violence and torture and therefore cannot be dismissed as ordinary crime."
South Africa's Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp, condemned the attack. He said: "I extend my heartfelt prayers and strength to Donovan, his family and the entire agricultural community for the trauma they have endured." Mr Aucamp added: "Farmers and farm workers are the backbone of South Africa's food security efforts and the endless risks to their personal safety directly place the country's food security at risk."
Broader Context
Farmers in South Africa accuse the government of turning a blind eye to crimes committed against them. US President Donald Trump claims a "white genocide" is happening in the country as farmers are targeted and land seized. His supporters, including Elon Musk, have been amplifying reports of violence against South Africa's white minority.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates on the planet, with 26,232 murders in 2024 alone. South African Police Service figures show that of the total, 44 were of those in the farming community and eight were farmers. The numbers are not broken down by race.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has long rejected claims of a white genocide in his country. He pushed back against Mr Trump's claims during an Oval Office meeting with his US counterpart in May 2025, saying not only are white people killed in South Africa, but black people are too, and these form the majority of deaths.
