Moses Mothobi Mosepele's girlfriend, Keditlwaetse Tsubane, could not believe her eyes when she opened the door on Tuesday night after hearing a knock.
It was a police officer who was there to drop off her boyfriend Mosepele, 45, who had been badly assaulted and tortured by the farmer, his wife and their employees.
Mosepele's neighbours Mosinemanegape Thekisho, 36, and Andries Tsubane, 34, escaped with serious injuries.
The three men were on their way to fetch wood on a farm near Stella in North West when four men approached them and accused them of stealing a sheep.
Their ordeal started when the farmer's wife and the farmworkers ordered them to undress and lie on the ground.
While taking their clothes off, the farmer's wife allegedly poured boiling water on them while her employees whipped them with a car fan belt.
The assault is said to have been filmed on a cellphone by the farmer's wife and the farmworkers.
The farmer allegedly joined in on the assault when he arrived at the scene later.
The men were held hostage from noon and were only released at 11pm after police were called. By then Mosepele was already weak. His lover checked his pulse and called an ambulance which took him to the local clinic where he was certified dead.
Tsubane and Thekisho were admitted at the Joe Morolong Hospital with severe injuries and burn wounds.
"The wife kept on pouring boiling water on my private parts. When I screamed, she ordered her workers to beat me up with a fan belt. I thought I was going to die," said Tsubane.
"They wouldn't let us talk. They insulted us and kept on beating us while pouring boiling water on us. I was naked and three women in that room kept on laughing while looking at us," Thekisho said.
Witnesses told Sowetan that when police arrived at the scene they also joined in on the assault. Police spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko said: "We view the allegations in a serious light. We will get to the bottom of the allegation."
Ramaloko said one case of murder, two of attempted murder, assault and one of kidnapping had been opened.
He said ten people, including the farm owner, his wife, farmworkers and some friends of the farm owner, were arrested.
They will appear in court soon.
