A West Coast farmer is battling for his life after being brutally assaulted by alleged livestock thieves between Elands Bay and Lamberts Bay on Thursday afternoon. The man sustained severe head injuries during the confrontation and was airlifted to Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town for specialist medical care. Three suspects have been taken into custody, though police continue searching for additional assailants who escaped.
DA MP and chairman of the parliamentary portfolio committee on police, Ian Cameron, said the incident unfolded when the farmer stumbled upon a group of individuals in the act of stealing sheep. "A farmer was left in a critical condition today after he was brutally attacked when he confronted cattle thieves who were stealing sheep," Cameron stated. He added that the farmer encountered the suspects during the attempted theft and was assaulted with knives, resulting in serious head wounds.
West Coast Medical Rescue confirmed that their paramedic teams were dispatched to a location outside Lamberts Bay following multiple distress calls. A local doctor had already begun treating the patient at the scene before the ambulance arrived. Upon reaching the injured farmer, paramedics continued stabilisation efforts, but his condition worsened owing to the severity of his head injuries.
A decision was subsequently taken to transfer the patient by air for urgent specialist intervention, and Netcare 911's emergency helicopter was summoned. West Coast Medical Rescue expressed gratitude to the local doctor and staff for their outstanding initial care, adding that their thoughts remained with the patient and his family during this difficult period.
Cameron emphasised that the assault underscores the increasingly violent nature of stock theft plaguing rural communities. "Livestock theft is an ongoing problem in the area and puts farming communities under tremendous pressure. These crimes are often well organised and violent and require a coordinated police response that includes rural security operations, intelligence-led investigations and proper prosecution of the syndicates behind livestock theft," he told media.
He called for full accountability, insisting that the remaining suspects must be apprehended and that investigators should determine whether the attack is linked to a broader livestock theft syndicate operating in the region. Cameron conveyed his thoughts to the farmer's family, expressing hope for a complete recovery.
