An elderly couple and their 33-year-old son were found murdered on a smallholding in Richmond, near Pietermaritzburg, at the weekend.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said the couple's son discovered the bodies yesterday afternoon.
"The house had been ransacked and the car is missing," Naicker said.
"We urge all communities in rural areas to be part of a rural safety forum and to look at weak points in their security."
He said vetting of employees was essential as often robberies were planned with their connivance.
"Victims are often killed because they know their attackers."
He said that the police solved many farm-murder cases because of the good working relationship between the police, farming communities and security companies.
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