Aman Giyanshwar Roopsingh was killed during an armed robbery at a sugarcane farm in Riet Valley, Shakaskraal in January.
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A breakthrough has been made in the investigation into the murder of Riet Valley farmer Aman Giyanshwar Roopsingh, following the arrest of a suspect in Umhlali on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
A man suspected of killing Roopsingh is among six suspects who had evaded arrest after allegedly shooting at police on March 28 that were arrested this week.
The suspects, wanted for serious crimes including murder as well as house and business robberies, were tracked down and cornered in the Shayamoya area.
Roopsingh, together with his mum and uncle, were attacked on their farm at the end of January.
His 77-year-old uncle suffered stab wounds and was hospitalised after the attack.
According to police a case of house robbery and murder was being investigated.
Police said the family was reportedly assaulted and robbed of their firearms. It was reported that a man, whose face was reportedly concealed with a balaclava, entered the house and held the three family members hostage at knife point.
This week Roopsingh's cousin, Dash Singh, welcomed the apparent progress in the case and expressed hope that police will confirm they have the right suspect and ensure he faces the full force of the law.
"Arrests mean nothing in this country. Our justice system is corrupt. We have seen people who have done gross acts of crime and walked free.
"We want to see the perpetrator get exactly what is coming his way. We will wait to see the final outcome," said Singh.
Roopsingh's grandfather, Baboo Roopsingh, was a well-known philanthropist and community leader on the north coast.
Baboo was the first Indian chairperson of the Canegrowers' Association and he built two schools on the north coast.
Aman also served as a board member of the Canegrowers' Association.
According to police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza, the suspects, who were targeting victims in Shayamoya, Nkobongo, Riet Valley and Itete areas, were profiled by police after they were linked to numerous crimes within the Umhlali area.
"During the March 28 shootout incident, three suspects were arrested. One of the six suspects was wanted for the murder of a 52-year-old farmer who was robbed and killed at his home in Riet Valley. The victim’s uncle was brutally stabbed during the incident.
"The suspects, who are aged between 20 and 25 years old, have appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court. Three suspects were remanded in custody while the other three suspects were released on bail. Police will continue to investigate to ascertain if the suspects are linked to other cases within the iLembe district policing precinct," said Magwaza.
Following the attack, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, called on police to prioritise the investigation and apply all necessary resources to the case to track down the perpetrators and ensure that they were swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.
Ntuli had described the killing as a grave and disturbing act of violence that constitutes an attack not only on an individual and his family, but on food security, rural livelihoods, and the social cohesion that binds communities together.
He emphasised that violence against farming families undermines the stability of rural economies and threatens the collective wellbeing of society.
“The murder of Mr Roopsingh is a painful and unacceptable loss. It is an assault on the values of safety, coexistence and respect for human life that underpin our democracy. Attacks on those who produce food for the nation strike at the heart of our shared security and prosperity,” said Ntuli.