Politics

[Ray B]

"Farmers" armed with pistols taking on "fighters" armed with automatic rifles, killing/wounding several and having no casualties says something about the skill levels of each.

 

[Dewald]

I know at least one chap that was actively involved in this shootout. This happened after our esteemed police force fled the scene. Many of these farmers are active three gun or IPSC competitors, and I would not want to be in a gunfight against them. I also know there were a few FN FALs and AR15s used by the farmwatch.

Just to be clear there are still some very dedicated police force members in SA. Two weeks ago in a sting operation in a Limpopo town they killed 19 cash in transit robbers, with one senior SAPS officer getting wounded, and unfortunately having to have his leg amputated above the knee.

Here are the details of the Hoedspruit incident:

Hero farmers from Hoedspruit kills 4 CIT robbers and wounds 3 after police flee the scene.

Full story:

Yesterday, 21/09/2023, 15 robbers armed with automatic rifles carried out a CIT heist in Hoedspruit, killing the driver Fidelity driver. Police fled the scene when the robbers started firing at them.

The Hoedspruit Farmwatch volunteers blocked the roads outside of Hoedspruit with boulders after they were alerted of the attack.

A skirmish, lasting about 20 minutes, was insued at one of the blockade between the robbers and the farmers, who were armed with pistols.

The farmers managed to kill 4 of the robbers and wound 3. No farmer was hurt.

The other suspects fled into nearby bushes after the shootout on foot.

The Hoedspruit farmwatch tracked them down using their dogs and arrested the rest of them, recovering all the money from the heist.

Great job by the farmers to do what the police were too afraid to do themselves.

 

[mark-hunter]

What is a "farmwatch"?

Is it some voluntary local security organization by farmers (formal or informal), or local militia group, or how does it work?

 

[Ray B]

The other suspects fled into nearby bushes after the shootout on foot.

The Hoedspruit farmwatch tracked them down using their dogs and arrested the rest of them, recovering all the money from the heist.

Since the driver was murdered in the commission of armed robbery, I'm wondering what those who were captured would be charged with and what the penalty would be. In the old days in the US that would bring the death penalty, not so much now.

 

[jpr9954]

Since the driver was murdered in the commission of armed robbery, I'm wondering what those who were captured would be charged with and what the penalty would be. In the old days in the US that would bring the death penalty, not so much now.

From what I've read, South Africa abolished the death penalty back in 1995. However, it looks like a lot of South Africans would like to see it reinstated.

In most US states, even if the driver had not been murdered, all of those captured still would be charged with capital murder due to the deaths of some of their thug friends during the commission of a felony.

 

[Doubleplay]

I know at least one chap that was actively involved in this shootout. This happened after our esteemed police force fled the scene. Many of these farmers are active three gun or IPSC competitors, and I would not want to be in a gunfight against them. I also know there were a few FN FALs and AR15s used by the farmwatch.

Just to be clear there are still some very dedicated police force members in SA. Two weeks ago in a sting operation in a Limpopo town they killed 19 cash in transit robbers, with one senior SAPS officer getting wounded, and unfortunately having to have his leg amputated above the knee.

Here are the details of the Hoedspruit incident:

Hero farmers from Hoedspruit kills 4 CIT robbers and wounds 3 after police flee the scene.

Full story:

Yesterday, 21/09/2023, 15 robbers armed with automatic rifles carried out a CIT heist in Hoedspruit, killing the driver Fidelity driver. Police fled the scene when the robbers started firing at them.

The Hoedspruit Farmwatch volunteers blocked the roads outside of Hoedspruit with boulders after they were alerted of the attack.

A skirmish, lasting about 20 minutes, was insued at one of the blockade between the robbers and the farmers, who were armed with pistols.

The farmers managed to kill 4 of the robbers and wound 3. No farmer was hurt.

The other suspects fled into nearby bushes after the shootout on foot.

The Hoedspruit farmwatch tracked them down using their dogs and arrested the rest of them, recovering all the money from the heist.

Great job by the farmers to do what the police were too afraid to do themselves.

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Good job by the farmers.
However what is sad for SA is the alarming increase in numbers of similar incidents.
Not more than couple months ago I was driving a rental car by myself very close to where this incident had happened on my way to a hunting farm.
Unfortunately SA is becoming more dangerous and unsafe even in rural areas.

 

[Dewald]

What is a "farmwatch"?

Is it some voluntary local security organization by farmers (formal or informal), or local militia group, or how does it work?

A private security organisation working with the local farmers who are trained in self defence and defence of property as farmers in SA are typically targets of violent crime, and too isolated for the police to respond in the necessary time. They are in constant radio contact and respond to farm attacks, or situations like the above.

 

[sestoppelman]

MSN

 

[Hogpatrol]

Pissing against the wind or who goes bankrupt first, the U.S. or Russia?

 

[sgt_zim]

Boy, ya just gotta love the blinders that the spunk bubble of a PM to our north wears. Extolling the virtues of a 98 yo Canadian citizan/former waffen ss trooper for fighting the Russians in WWII. He makes our drooler-in-chief seem like a downright genius.

 

[WAB]

I have a good friend in that farmwatch group. He, and I believe a number of others in that group, fought behind enemy lines in SA special forces in the bush war. These are not folks to mess with. These punks messed with the wrong guys.

 

[Dewald]

I have a good friend in that farmwatch group. He, and I believe a number of others in that group, fought behind enemy lines in SA special forces in the bush war. These are not folks to mess with. These punks messed with the wrong guys.

You could not be more correct with that statement. Some of those fellows might be in their late 50’s to mid 60’s, but during the border war in North Namibia and Angola, they fought one of the toughest wars as youngsters, some making a career out of it.

1. They are not scared of some local untrained robbers.
2. No one is going to intimidate them.
3. They are prepared to fight for their livelihood.

Ps, I suspect the Hoedspruit panelbeaters are going to fix lots of bullet holes in Land Cruisers and Hiluxes in the next two weeks…

 

[WAB]

You could not be more correct with that statement. Some of those fellows might be in their late 50’s to mid 60’s, but during the border war in North Namibia and Angola, they fought one of the toughest wars as youngsters, some making a career out of it.

1. They are not scared of some local untrained robbers.
2. No one is going to intimidate them.
3. They are prepared to fight for their livelihood.

Ps, I suspect the Hoedspruit panelbeaters are going to fix lots of bullet holes in Land Cruisers and Hiluxes in the next two weeks…

I’ve heard some hair raising stories of their work in Angola. Only a fool would mess with those fellows.

 

[Wheels]

 

[Tanner Lee]

Interesting

It’s an interesting watch.
The truth we all know is that without US aid Ukraine could have not survived. The economics of war is clear Ukraine will lose without aid. Their economy cannot survive a long war and that is what wins modern wars economics and weapons production. But now we need to be concerned that Ukraine will run out of manpower. The war needs to end.

 

[Wheels]

I’ve heard some hair raising stories of their work in Angola. Only a fool would mess with those fellows.

Agreed. I have hunted with a couple of outfitters who served in the Southwest Africa Territorial Force or SADF. Some of the stories of what they did to the Cubans and SWAPO in Angola left my jaw hanging.

This summer my son and I hunted Mahango. 32 Buffalo Battalion was stationed across the Kavongo River from our camp during the war. The outfitter dug up two mortars while building the camp. We were going to drive around to the Battalion ruins but ran out of time. There is so much rich military history in northern Namibia and also throughout Zimbabwe. The participants are still with us. Probably a few members here on this forum. There is a tremendous amount of history to learn on our hunts if we only ask.

 

[Newboomer]

I lost my appetite too, so I figure I share it. My bad, I'll go to my corner for some time out.

YUCK!!! Where in hell did she come from?

 

[Ray B]

Only a fool would mess with those fellows.

Unfortunately there seems to be no shortage of fools.

 

[Dewald]

Only a fool would mess with those fellows.

Unfortunately there seems to be no shortage of fools.

And some dead fools to add to that

 

[Dewald]

There is so much rich military history in northern Namibia and also throughout Zimbabwe. The participants are still with us. Probably a few members here on this forum. There is a tremendous amount of history to learn on our hunts if we only ask.

Problem is the ones that saw the most action are the most modest and reserved about that.

ITO forum members, read Kevin Thomas’ book Shadows in an African twilight, which details most of his time in the Selous Scouts, as well as his time as a Zim PH. It is a fantastic book.

South Africa has a bizarre situation at present where most young white men would not serve in the military or police, even if we wanted to. The current government and high ranking military officers are the terrorists and communists (as in real communists in the form of the SA Communist Party supporting the ANC, and supported by Cuba, Russia and China, not just calling Joe Biden commieJoe) that my father, uncles, father-in-law, and his brothers, and almost all other older men that we respect fought against in a bloody war on the South West border. There is not a chance in the world I’m going to spend two or three years of my life trying to serve SA under the leadership of those clowns. And now I’m not even going to get into the current HIV and TB situation in our military on a public forum. Suffice to say in 2011 78% of the soldiers on a particular base in Northern KZN were HIV positive when I managed the sickbay there.

Yet most of us love the country and try to remain patriotic and positive despite these fools.