As the saying goes, “whites create, blacks destroy.”

Have you ever heard of a black conservationist?

IOL:

The family of slain Helpmekaar farmer Colin Leslie Brits, 65, said he had dedicated his life to nature conservation and farming.

Brits was found in his home, a farm in Elandskraal, Limpopo, on Monday with a gunshot wound to his head.

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said Brits was attacked by unknown suspects who fatally shot him. His firearms were also stolen.

A case of murder was being investigated by Helpmekaar SAPS. Gwala said no arrests had been made.

Bianca Woest said her father had dreamed of being a farmer since he was a child. He spent much time on his grandparents’ farm in North West.

Woest said her father worked on the cattle farm for his brother, Max Brits. She said he was a motor mechanic and had a plot of land in the East Rand where he kept animals. Brits also lived in eMmanzimtoti, on the KwaZaul-Natal South Coast.

He spent a short time in Malawi trying to set up an animal conservation initiative but contracted malaria.

“He had problems with poachers. He had been on the farm for five years, had grown fond of the area and had made friends with some wild animals. He had a horse he rode to places where he could not use his bakkie. He loved nature and was hard working.

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Brits is survived by his children and four grandchildren. The family is preparing funeral arrangements.

You can’t even have a cappuccino in the Rainbow Nation these days without getting savaged by the local wildlife.

IOL:

The murder of a cattle farmer has sent shock waves through the local farming community of Helpmekaar near Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal.

The KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) CEO Sandy La Marque said they are concerned that there are three “farm” attacks and one “farm” murder confirmed to date in 2020.

The farmer was killed on Monday.

Collin Britz, 65, who farmed on Craigmillar in the Elandskraal area was found in his home with a gunshot wound to his head at 4pm, said police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala. She said he was attacked by unknown suspects. Two of his firearms were also stolen.

Britz was a bachelor and lived alone on the farm.

The chairperson of the Umzinyathi farmers union Herman de Wet said Britz came back from the town at 2pm. He was informed by his staff that cattle were short.

De Wet said he then took two of his workers and dropped them off near the grazing area to look for the cattle. Britz then returned home.

Two other workers were working at the fence 300 meters from the house.

The domestic worker was also on the farm.

“It’s unclear if the criminals were waiting for him. Britz appeared to have been having a cup of coffee when they pounced on him. There appears to have been a struggle. He put up a fight. His hands were bruised. The workers heard the shots and went to investigate. How ever they did not find anything suspicious,”he said.