Boer smallholders under siege by militia-gangs

War of terror against working-class Afrikaners by armed-militia gangs at Melodie, Rietfontein smallholdings – people shot at while sleeping; dogs slashed with pangas

http://bit.ly/kDwCub - Daniel Potgieter: family attacked twice and shot at while sleeping by 5-member armed gang:

HARTBEESPOORT. It’s a terrifying world where vicious terrorist militia-gangs fire on defenceless homeowners sleeping inside their Melodie and Rietfontein homesteads, where properties are stripped of everything of value… writes editor Cynthia Dreyer of Madibeng Pulse.

“That’s what is happening in Hartbeespoort in the ‘peacetime of a democracy’. Don’t be fooled by the calm and rustic atmosphere on the plots with cows, pigs and lots of dog gambolling in the veld.  Burglaries and armed attacks are a way of life for criminals and a nightmare for residents.

This week Melodie plot owner Mr Daniel Potgieter told MadibengPulse about the alarming experience he and his family had on Tuesday evening and again during the early hours of Wednesday morning. And he says all the residents are under continuous threats of armed, violent gangs. Another plot owner in Melodie also told MadibengPulse last week that it was only thePlotwatch organisation that was still keeping the gangs at bay…

Came back and shot at the sleeping Afrikaner family: five armed black men:

The Potgieter family - whose plot is near the Wellness Centre in Melodie -- heard their dogs barking furiously at around 21:00 on Tuesday evening May 3 2011 - and also heard something on the roof. “On investigating what the dogs were barking at and first seeing nothing, we walked back to the house and then saw that there were two men on the roof.” They had gained entry by cutting and flattening a fence.

“It was apparent that there were three more hiding in the bushes at the bottom because they whistled to their mates that we were approaching when our dog was staring and barking upwards at the roof. The two on the roof jumped down over our back fence. We alerted Plotwatch and they arrived and with the police searched the area, but no one could be found. Everything was quiet and we went to bed, but a few hours later at around 02:00 on Wednesday morning, we were shot at right inside our house! It sounded like a .22 calibre weapon. We’ve got lots of dogs who were barking so they fled.”

Two dogs injured by militia-gang:

Once again Plotwatch with three bakkies searched for the suspects, but could not find anyone. Two of the dogs were injured by the criminals during the attacks; one of the bull terriers had a stone thrown at its head badly injuring its jaw. The other bull terrier was slashed with a panga (see photo) on the leg and both had to be treated by a vet.

And then, according to Mr Harro Rust of Plotwatch,  a couple of minutes after the invaders had left the Potgieter property the first time, members of Plotwatch heard shots being fired at a neighbouring property. Yet searches revealed no one.

He appealed plot dwellers to contact him to join the Plotwatch initiative to help in the fight to secure their homes. Harro Rust: 082 775 6466
http://www.madibengpulse.co.za/?Task=system&CategoryID=32199&HeadingText=CrimeAlert+050511+war+on+terror#NISSAN