Man killed in farm attack

The Otjiwarongo community was rocked by another farm murder after an elderly couple and their grandson were severely assaulted and their son was shot several times. Hartwig Koehler (50) died in hospital after the attack on Tuesday night at the farm Doringkom located about 86 km from Otjiwarongo on the road to Okahandja. According to Detective Chief Inspector Deon Mares the assault and murder occurred on Tuesday night at approximately 20:30 when two black men entered the farmhouse shortly after the family had dinner. Mares said the owner of the farm, Martin Koehler (80), his wife, Elizabeth (79), their son Hartwig and grandson Achim (20) were seated at the dining-room table. According to Mares the dogs started barking and ran towards the front door. Hartwig stood up to investigate why the dogs were barking and then three gunshots were heard. Martin immediately stood up to see what was going on and saw one of the attackers, who fired a shot in his direction. According to him the two attackers were already inside the house at that stage and when Martin turned around to return to the dining room he saw Hartwig lying on the floor. The two men assaulted the rest of the family - Martin, Elizabeth and Achim - with iron bars and pieces of wood. According to Mares they were tied up with pieces of cloth and rope while they were assaulted. The attackers stole about N$4 000 in cash, two cell phones and a Toyota Fortuner vehicle. The vehicle was found abandoned in Otjiwarongo and the suspects fled on foot, says Mares. Despite being pursued by the police and the Otjiwarongo neighbourhood watch they managed to escape. Mares said the vehicle must still be searched and the police are confident that the other stolen items would also be recovered. Hartwig Koehler was taken to hospital but he died from the massive injuries he had sustained. Elizabeth sustained serious injuries to her ribs and her collarbone was broken. She is still at the Otjiwarongo Medi-Clinic. Martin sustained several cuts, but he and Achim have been discharged from hospital. Speculations were rife on social media yesterday that the attackers were South Africans, but Mares dismissed that. He said there was no way that the police could know their nationality at this stage. Mares said a reward of N$20 000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest. Hartwig is survived by his wife, who was in Swakopmund at the time of the attack, and two sons. The family lives in Windhoek and Hartwig was visiting his parents along with Achim. Namibian Sun reported earlier this year that commercial farms in Namibia were increasingly becoming the target of brutal farm attacks and murders. Statistics indicate that there have been at least 28 murder cases reported and 41 attacks on commercial farms over the past 15 years. At least 39 people have been murdered in farm attacks since the year 2000. Farms in northern Namibia were the most frequent targets of these attacks, with 30 cases reported in the area. ELLANIE SMIT