An elderly Bethal woman had to walk 4km to get help after robbers killed her son on Sunday.

Hannetjie Venter, 79, didn't see them kill her son Fanie, but heard the single shot the robbers fired.

A friend of the family, Sakkie Pretorius, says her ordeal started at about 08:30.

He says Hannetjie saw the robbers - there were apparently three of them - and tried to warn Fanie who was busy elsewhere on the farmyard.

"He probably didn't hear her. One of the men put his hand over her mouth."

Fanie, who always carried a firearm, was caught unawares and was shot in the head.

"When she got to him, one of the men said her son was just sleeping. But there was blood everywhere and she could see that he was dead," Pretorius said.

The robbers held a gun to her head and forced her to unlock the safe.

"She asked: 'Why don't you shoot me as well?" 

The robbers stole a shotgun, money and Hannetjie's handbag.

Francois van Dijk, a neighbour, says the robbers stole the Venters' cellphones as well.

Hannetjie can't drive and she and their dog walked about 4km to Van Dijk's house to get help.

"She got here at about 10:00. She walked all the way.  It was very traumatic for her."

Van Dijk immediately alerted the police and neighbours, but the men - who'd arrived in a car - were long gone.
- Beeld