AgriSA, SAPS unite against crime

The Ministry of Police and AgriSA will work together to develop a plan of action to create safety in farming communities.

“We must attend to farm killings as well as attacks… but equally, we must prevent any form of disruption with regard to production that takes place at the level of the farms,” Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said.

The Minister and AgriSA met recently to discuss the National Rural Safety Strategy.

“We are going to implement the plan of action that we will devise and we are going to make it public. Our programme of safety is to ensure that there is safety in rural areas, order, and accessibility to the police in those areas,” he said.

Once the plan has been put together, it will be approved by the Minister and a memorandum of understanding will be signed.

The plan will include increased police visibility.The South African Police Service has further committed to sharpen its approach to rural safety and farmers must form an integral part of that approach.

A total of 1 181 police reservists have been enrolled for training and will be deployed across the rural areas.

Minister Mbalula said farmers must interact with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) with regards to planning, ensuring protection and preventing crime in all areas.

“We have an obligation to make sure that everybody's safety and security is guaranteed, as it is required by the Constitution,” he added.

AgriSA CEO Omri van Zyl said the Minister's commitment to implementing a strategy that will see the SAPS and AgriSA work closely together to benefit the farmers and farmworkers was encouraging.

“Our farming communities are going through tough times at the moment and I think this partnership will help us to lift the spirit and the sense of security that we will have in our country, including rural areas,” he said.