Donovan Marx farm attack: FIVE suspects arrested

Police have arrested five suspects in connection with the brutal farm attack on Donovan Marx in North West, during which attackers allegedly cut off his ears.

Detectives tracked down three suspects in Promosa, near Potchefstroom, on Sunday, 1 November, following the arrest of two others on Saturday.

North West police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh confirmed that officers seized four firearms, including two linked to the attack, along with clothing and jewellery.

What happened to Donovan Marx?

Three armed men allegedly attacked Marx, 50, at his farm in Syferfontein, near Ventersdorp, on Wednesday, 28 October.

According to police, the attackers tied up a farmworker before shooting Marx when he arrived at the property.

They allegedly dragged him into the house, stabbed and assaulted him before cutting off his ears.

The suspects fled in Marx’s vehicle, which police later recovered abandoned.

Marx remains in hospital in Potchefstroom, where he is recovering from his injuries.

Suspects due in court

The five suspects, aged between 26 and 56, are expected to appear in the Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday, 3 November.

They face charges of house robbery, attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

North West police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arthur Peter Adams welcomed the arrests.

The investigation, led by Captain Bonita Dry, involved Ventersdorp detectives and members of the provincial Anti-Gang Unit.