Murder of crippled KZN farmer: How much more must our farmers take?
11 April 2021
The DA is shocked and horrified by the murder of crippled farmer, Neil McKay of KwaZulu-Natal.
Who would murder a man in a wheelchair? A man in a wheelchair who was both unarmed and physically unable to protect himself.
We are also appalled by the news that the reason he was crippled was because of in an initial farm attack some 20 years ago. In that attack he was shot and disabled. It seems that despite the passing of 20 years the attackers who crippled Neil McKay have never been convicted.
Surely this second attack and horrendous murder will move Minister of Police, Bheki Cele to finally give as much attention to solving the thousands of unsolved murder cases as he does to arresting people minding their own business on the beach?
Neil McKay was a gentle and friendly man of peace who apparently refused to carry or even have a gun, despite living alone on a farm where his now deceased father made it possible for his beloved son to farm from a wheel chair.
The murderer/s apparently attacked Neil in his office in the farm shed immediately after the farm manager and staff left for their homes on Friday evening. It seems they were keeping watch and attacked the defenceless Neil Mackay once he was on his own. First they cleaned out the safe then they apparently dragged Neil to his bedroom where they brutally strangled him to death.
People who would murder a defenceless man are a danger to all of society. They must be found and locked away without delay before they murder again.
Neil’s dogs clearly did their best to defend him and were savagely slashed but, judging by the blood on the scene, it seems the dogs did manage to injure those who murdered Neil McKay.
It is up to the South African Police to do their job and conduct a thorough forensic investigation to collect the DNA and other evidence needed to ensure that the murderers are charged, convicted and thrown into jail for life.
The DA expresses its most sincere condolences to Neil’s mother who arrived at his farm in Winterton on Saturday morning only to find her murdered son dead in his bedroom. It is impossible to comprehend the shock and sadness that Mrs McKay must have experienced and will experience for the rest of her life.
Mrs McKay has had to live through her son being twice attacked, this second time murdered by people who don’t deserve any place in our society except in a maximum-security prison.
The DA will monitor the progress that the SAPS makes in this investigation. We will follow up, and exert extreme pressure until such time as the murderers of Neil McKay are apprehended.
We will demand answers from the Minister about the failure to charge and convict the first attackers. We will do oversight to ensure that the case is properly investigated and not simply shoved into File 13 along with the thousands of unsolved murder cases that should give the Minister Cele sleepless nights but like Jimmy Kruger who presided over the non-investigation of Steve Biko’s murder, seems to be "left cold".
Issued by Alf Lees, DA Uthukela Constituency Head, 11 April 2021
