Ministers turn attention to farm killings

FARM murders occur with such frightening regularity that ministers Senzeni Zokwana and Bheki Cele have been discussing ways to elevate the priority of the crime in order to put extraordinary measures in place to curb it.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Zokwana and Police Minister Cele have yet to unpack exactly what this could mean in terms of resources allocated to addressing farm murders as a specific focus area.

Zokwana said he has been consistent in the condemnation of farm killings by criminal elements and has assured farmer organisations about the ongoing devastating situation.

He added that he has been in an “ongoing engagement with Cele”.

“There is a discussion around the elevation of farmers killing into specific focus with extraordinary measures in place, but this will be unpacked in due course,” Zokwana said.

Zokwana condemned the recent Philippi and Bonnievale incidents and called for police to be quicker to apprehend the killers.

Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries chairperson Machwene Rosina Semenya said they were also engaging with Parliament’s portfolio committee on police regarding the farm robbery and killings that are on the rise in the Western Cape.

This comes few days after a brazen farm attack which has left one person dead and residents in shock, in the Philippi Horticultural Area in Phillipi and six days after a Bonnievale farming couple was found dead in their beds in what was believed to be a farm attack.

One person was arrested.