Town protests farm killings

SOLIDARITY: BLACK COMMUNITY HANDS OVER DEMANDS AFTER WHITE FARMER’S MURDER Rising crime in area impacts negatively, as many lose their jobs and live in fear.

In an extraordinary demonstration of reconciliation, black community members in Vryheid took to the streets to protest the killing of members of a white farming family in the area.

The march, to the Gluckstadt police station by members of the Zwathi community in Vryheid, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, followed the brutal murders of local farmer Billy van Rooyen and his father-in-law, Ronnie Lombard, in April.

It was reported that 15 attackers armed with AK47s converged on the Van Rooyen home in the Swart Umfolozi area shortly after 8pm on April 18 and opened fire on the family.

Van Rooyen, 37, was shot in the chest when he stepped outside to investigate why his dogs had started barking. As many as 50 shots were fired at the Van Rooyen home. Van Rooyen was killed in the attack. Lombard, 62, was critically wounded and died the following morning. Billy’s father, Lood van Rooyen, was also injured in the attack, but later discharged from hospital.

Six men were taken into custody for questioning after what some described as an “act of terrorism” or a “military style attack” on the Van Rooyen farm.

Among those detained, were a security guard who allegedly worked at the farm and a former employee of Van Rooyen. Due to an alleged lack of evidence , the suspects were released.

Ward councillor Michael Khumalo said: “If one was without food, you could go to Billy and ask for his help. The question now is where will such help come from?”

He handed over a memorandum to the police, detailing concerns about rising crime in the area.

The memorandum said the killing of farmers had a negative influence on the community, because many of those working on the farms lose their jobs.

The murder of farmers also leads to the shutting down of businesses, the community said. The memo said after the killing of Gert Uys, another farmer from the same area, in 2012, many peo- ple had been left without jobs.

Community members claim to be living in constant fear as this crime continues to spread.

“These criminals are not just killing farmers, they are killing us as a community,” said Khumalo.

In the memorandum, the community said they believed those who had sent these criminals were from within the community.