Ignorance is bliss

Sometimes we need to pause and remember the victims of crime. Since Mr Frauenstein was killed, there have been a further 200 000 murders in South Africa.

Here's why I picked this story to show you. While this news outlet does well in recalling the murder of a gentle man 10 years ago, note how the author states his murder took place "at the height of the ritual farm killings around South Africa in the late 90s". The writer (who is black) makes no mention of the ongoing slaughter of white farmers. In November last year, we posted that 3000 white farmers had been killed in 31000 attacks. Again, I must ask, do they really not know what is going on or are they deliberately concealing the truth?

Justice has never been served for slain Kidd’s Beach farmer Cecil Frauenstein, who was butchered by five men in his farmhouse at the height of the ritual farm killings around South Africa in the late 90s.

It has been more than 10 years since Frauenstein, 66, was killed in cold blood in September 1998 but the killers were never brought to court.

Frauenstein’s nephew, Inspector Wayne Frauenstein from the Khomga police station, said: “No one was arrested as far as I know, although I asked some of the guys (policemen) working around Kidd’s Beach.”
He told the Dispatch that the family had never had closure over his uncle’s death.

“The family was beyond shocked,” he said. “I knew his children well; they were at KHS (Kaffrarian High School for Girls) and I was at Dale College.

“We used to see each other in Kidd’s Beach during family holidays.”

The murder sent shock waves through the farming community, which was already fearful of increasing farm attacks.

Not long after his uncle’s murder, Wayne was called on to investigate a similar farm killing case in which an elderly couple, David Hoy, 75, and his wife Sonja, 65, were attacked at their Khomga farmstead. The killers got away with R500.

Yesterday, former police spokesperson Superintendent Eddie Watson also recalled that no one was arrested for the Frauenstein murder.

“Frauenstein’s body was dragged outside of his house and left by the shed,” he said yesterday.

The Daily Dispatch reported at the time that Frauenstein walked in on the armed killers as they were busy stealing his television, video machine and other household goods.

“As he entered the house he discovered five men, three armed with knives, one with a panga and another with a hand gun.

“The men dragged Mr Frauenstein outside and began stabbing, hacking and slashing him,” said the report.

Frauenstein sustained deep cuts into his forehead and face, and had stab wounds on his body and chest.

His wife, Mary, was in Gauteng at the time of the attack visiting her daughter Dianne and her new grandchild.

Their son Craig described his father as an “uncomplicated, simple person who would not do anything to harm you”.