80-year-old Free State farmer arrested after decomposed body found on farm near Kroonstad. Image: SABC
(The Post News)- Police have taken an 80-year-old man into custody on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice after a man’s body was found on a farm between Kroonstad and Welkom,Free State, on 20 August 2025.
According to police, the arrest came after a community tip-off. Police spokesperson Motantsi Makhele stated that further arrests could still follow. Makhele explained that a Bloemfontein task team pursued leads that directed them to a farm along the Kroonstad–Welkom road, where the body was discovered.
Victim Allegedly Buried on the Farm
It is alleged the victim had been buried on the property. Because of the advanced state of decomposition, DNA samples were collected to establish the deceased’s identity. “A case defeating the ends of justice has been opened. An 80-year-old man has been arrested and will be appearing in court soon,” Makhele confirmed.
Earlier, Dr. Koos Troskie, the grandfather of the suspect accused of fatally shooting a man and burying him in a shallow grave in Kroonstad, Free State, told the media that he had killed before and would do so again if threatened on his farm. The victim is alleged to have been shot and secretly buried in an unmarked grave in July this year.
“I feel very bad because this is a second attack. The first one (the attacker) shot me from outside my house, and he missed, and his angle was too bad. I came back with a shotgun, and I killed him. I will kill someone. I said I was attacked. If I am a farmer and you attack me, I will kill.”
Following the discovery of the body, members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Free State threatened to close Dr. Troskie’s medical practice. Meanwhile, EFF supporters also staged protests outside his clinic, demanding justice.
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