Condemn both racism and farm attacks

Spotlight

SOUTH Africans were shocked this week when Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said a “civilised country like Australia” needs to help white farmers in South Africa. It smacked of racism unbecoming of a minister, especially from a country with which South Africa historically had good relations.

No wonder Minister Lindiwe

Sisulu said Australian High Commissioner Adam Mccarthy seemed to be a man grappling with how to respond to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation’s démarche.

However unacceptable Dutton’s comments, and damaging to South Africa’s image, we do have a serious problem with farm killings.

It is shocking to learn of the details of the gruesome nature of recent killings, and how 15% of farm attacks last year involved torture.

Farmers attacked over the past year have been made to drink boiling water; been tied up and burnt with iron rods, and frequently elderly women have been raped. The sad part is that this type of torture does seem motivated by hatred.

It is true that in many of these cases adequate follow-up has not been done and, in many cases, convictions have not been secured. So, yes, it is understandable that farmers may be leaving our shores for places that they can farm in greater security.

Australia is just one choice of destination, as many South African farmers have already moved to Zambia and Mozambique where there are far greater levels of security.

There is no evidence to suggest that the police in South Africa are allowing this to happen, or that the state is indifferent to the problem.

But it is also true that despite the increasing frequency of such attacks, the state has ignored repeated pleas from the farming community to declare farm attacks as a priority crime, and address this phenomenon with the same political grit as that of poaching, for example.

When up to two farmers are killed are the victims today, we may just find ourselves at the receiving end of such brutality and there will be few interested in raising the alarm.

As the country moves towards fast-tracking land restitution and restoration, as Parliament has passed the motion to amend the constitution in order to allow for land expropriation without compensation, we will need to be all the more vigilant that attacks on farmers are not tolerated.

Sisulu has been at pains to emphasise that the process will be handled responsibly, in keeping with the constitution, and will ensure that food security is not affected. That is why her message was that South Africans and foreigners alike should not panic. There is no appetite to watch farmers being murdered or see their rights violated in any way.

Farmers need to realise the slow pace of land reform over the 23 years of our democracy is itself an injustice to the majority in this country. Since 1994, only 9% of commercial farmland has been transferred through restitution and redistribution.

Ben Cousins, the National

Research Fund chairperson in poverty, land and agrarian studies at UWC, has argued that the market has not been redistributing land to black South Africans to the extent that Agrisa claims. Cousins maintains it is a myth that land reform can involve the redistribution of state-owned land, as most state land in the rural areas comprises densely settled communal land not available for redistribution.

As the government considers how to carry out the distribution process in a responsible manner, a primary consideration needs to be how to pursue social justice while ensuring the agricultural sector produces food that is affordable for the masses.

As it is, many people cannot afford proper, adequate nutrition.

With food prices rising globally, and unprecedented periods of drought here, the formula adopted needs to ensure both maximum productivity and human security.