off an elderly man's feet before forcing him and his wife to put their feet in a bath of boiling-hot water.
Koos van Wyk, 62, and his wife, Martha, 56, the owners of Mgobhozi Game Farm at Gluckstadt near Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal, were overpowered about 22:30 on Saturday.
Mrs Van Wyk was watching television while her husband was having a bath.
Police spokesperson captain Vusi Mbatha said Mrs Van Wyk heard the front door being forced open and ran to her husband in the bathroom.
Five armed men overpowered the couple, threatened them with firearms and demanded money.
The suspects took R250, six firearms, two sewing machines, a CD-player and Mrs Van Wyk's diamond ring before forcing the couple into the bathroom, where they were forced to put their feet into boiling-hot water.
Flesh found in the house
Mbatha said the robbers probably did this to prevent the couple from going for help.
A police official close to the investigation said the soles of Mr Van Wyk's feet were sliced off before he was forced to put his feet in the water.
"The police found the flesh in another part of the house," he said.
The Van Wyks, who had serious burns, are still in a critical condition in hospital.
Mbatha said they had not arrested anybody yet in connection with the attack.
