Concerned farmers plan to enlist own security help

PRIVATE security guards are to be brought into farming communities in the Eastern Cape amidst a spate of criminal attacks and protests from farmers that police are not doing enough .

Agri-Eastern Cape chairman Douglas Stern yesterday said: “We know police are stretched and cannot be visible in all the areas where there are farms.

“Hence we have decided to now be vigilant and organise our own private security and protect ourselves as a collective.”

Stern said this “surge in attacks” was of great concern.

He said farming communities would also start forming visible patrols as they felt crime syndicates were targeting farmers in remote areas.

He said farm attacks were taking place across the province on a weekly basis.

“We have a feeling that these attacks are on the increase again and that we as farmers are being targeted because of the remoteness of the areas we stay in.”

Stern said farms had been attacked recently around East London, Great Kei, Stutterheim and Aliwal North.

On Friday, 47-year old Great Kei farmer Jason Winrow was gunned down at his Blue Water farm during an interrupted robbery.

In another incident near Cove Rock outside East London last week, 66-year old pineapple farmer Basil Reinke and his wife were threatened with guns and knives when four men stormed into their farmhouse.