Alarm over spike in farm attacks

A SPIKE in farm murders in the Western Cape and elsewhere in the country has the safety and security community and agricultural sector worried.

The latest murder was that of a 26-year-old pregnant woman, who was killed during a home invasion on her farm in Weenen, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

The incident came a day after Afrikaans singer Wynand Breedt was shot dead on his farm outside Worcester on Friday night.

Agri SA deputy executive director Christo van der Rheede said they were “perturbed” by the attacks. “Criminals, and in some instances well-organised syndicates are behind these attacks,” he said.

“Our farmers have once again proved their worth and that they play a critical role during levels 5 and 4 of the lockdown by continuing to ensure food security, not only for South Africa but for the African continent and the world large.”

Van der Rheede said all that they asked from the government was to safeguard all farms and to implement the long-awaited rural safety strategy and reservist system in collaboration with the police force.

“Our justice system has also a role to play in that it must apply harsher sentences to those found guilty of murder, theft and other crimes,” he said.

Van der Rheede said the agricultural sector was faced with a growing crisis, and the government should help to avert a greater moral and constitutional crisis.

Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer chaired the quarterly meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Rural Safety at the weekend, amid reports that the Western Cape was experiencing an increase in farm attacks.

Meyer expressed concern that three farm attacks had occurred over the past three weeks following no incidents in April and May.

“The IMC also received progress

reports on the court-watching briefs involving rural and farm attacks in the Western Cape. We have systems in place to ensure that justice will be done in cases involving farm attacks,” Meyer said.

He was satisfied with the progress made by the police Rural Safety Priority Committee, and welcomed the extension of rural safety units to more police stations in the province. Agri Western Cape chief executive Jannie Strydom said the solution lay in integrating the responsibilities of all stakeholders to break the cycle of crime.

He said it was wrong to believe it was solely the responsibility of police to fight crime. “Combined, integrated and focused efforts are required to bring back values, respect and integrity to all communities, rural and urban.”

Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz encouraged farm watches to become accredited. “I call on all farm watches... in rural and peri-urban communities to approach the Department of Community Safety to become an accredited neighbourhood watch. To date, 13 farm watches have been accredited as neighbourhood watches.”

Accredited neighbourhood watches were eligible for resourcing, training and funding.