IT was a sad day for FICKSBURG on 5 May 2008, when a stalwart of the community was lost, said the town’s municipal manager Ratoolo Kau. He was responding to the bloody attack on the farm Stolberg, in which former Farmer’s Weekly contributor, 64-year-old Jacques Moll Sr was shot and killed.
On the day of the attack, his 58-year-old wife Genene and three of her grandchildren were ambushed by five attackers on their arrival at the farm. The children were staying with their grandmother while their father was at the hospital, where their mother had given birth to a little girl. Jacques Moll Sr was away on business in Bloemfontein.
Genene was shot in the leg and tied up. The children were also tied up and bundled into a cupboard. The attackers then demanded money and firearms.Jacques Moll Jr became suspicious when he tried to phone his mother and someone kept on picking up the phone and putting it down in his ear.
He subsequently phoned his father, who on arrival from Bloemfontein went straight to the house to investigate. He was shot at point-blank range on his way to the front door and died on the scene. His other son Xavier was also attacked and tied up. The armed gang had apparently tried to shoot him as well, but the gun failed. The attackers fled with a Toyota Hilux, a firearm and R100 in cash.
Kau asked that the police leave no stone unturned in their efforts to bring the criminals to book. He also called on all the communities in Ficksburg to be on the alert and to bring anything suspicious to the attention of the police. – Annelie Coleman.
