TLU SA is urging the Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele and President Cyril Ramaphosa to activate the local Farm Watches. South Africans can support this action by signing a petition.
Patrolling by the crucially necessary watches are prohibited since the inception of the lockdown. Since then there has been a marked and concerning increase in the theft of agricultural products and livestock.
“Rural safety with the emphasis on violent crimes on farms and smallholdings became a national crime priority in 1998,” says Maj. Gen. Chris van Zyl. “In support of and with the approval of the South African Police Force (SAPS), the Farm Watches have been contributing to monitoring routes with rural patrols in agricultural areas and helping with traffic monitoring services since the nineties. It also applies to crimes committed outside the farming sector where suspects try to escape via any possible routes. The SAPS has always welcomed this service.”
TLU SA took the initiative in creating the National Agricultural Safety Strategy in late 2017, and ASUF (Agri Sector Unity Forum) accepted and approved it by early 2018. The strategy – updated and amended annually – creates a uniform contribution from agriculture in support of the Rural Safety Strategy of SAPS.
“The lockdown and management of law and order puts a lot of pressure on the SAPS, but it is concentrated in high-density areas and on roads where higher visible policing is necessary to enforce the regulations of the lockdown,” says Van Zyl. “As a result, the less dense agricultural areas are not guaranteed effective and precautionary policing. The importance of Farm Watch activities thus increases exponentially.”
The available information indicates that farm murders decreased during the first three weeks of the lockdown in comparison with the three weeks before lockdown (with seven attacks and two murders in contrast with sixteen attacks and five murders). But, during the same period, the theft of agricultural products and livestock increased.
“It is in the national interest of South Africa that agricultural production is protected to maintain food security,” he says. “Against this background, the Minister of Police’s refusal to let Farm Watches continue with community safety like in the past does not make sense. The sooner the government realises the shortsightedness of the unnecessary and senseless lockdown, and allow the Farm Watches to continue with their unique function, the better.”
TLU SA created a platform where South Africans can support the appeal to pressure the government to activate the Farm Watch. The petition is available at this link.
TLU SA skep petisie om Plaaswagte te aktiveer
TLU SA doen ‘n dringende beroep op die Minister van Polisie, mnr. Bheki Cele en President Cyril Ramaphosa om die Plaaswagte weer te aktiveer, en het ‘n platform geskep waar Suid-Afrikaners die aksie kan ondersteun.
Dié noodsaaklike wagte word sedert die begin van die inperking verhoed om patrollies te ry om landelike veiligheid te verseker, en sedertdien is daar ‘n merkbare en kommerwekkende toename in die diefstal van produkte en lewende hawe.
“Landelike veiligheid met die klem op geweldsmisdade op plase en hoewes is sedert 1998 as 'n nasionale misdaadprioriteit verklaar,” sê genl.maj. Chris van Zyl. “Ter ondersteuning en met die goedkeuring van die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD), dra Plaaswagte sedert die laat negentigs beduidend by met landelike patrollies in die landbougebiede en hulp met voorstaandienste om roetes te moniteer. Dit geld ook misdade wat buite die landbousektor gepleeg is maar waar verdagtes alle moontlike ontsnaproetes kan benut. Dit is ‘n diens wat allerweë deur die SAPD verwelkom en benut word.”
Ter aanvulling en ondersteuning van die SAPD het TLU SA laat in 2017 die inisiatief geneem met die ontwikkeling van 'n Nasionale Landbou Veiligheid Strategie wat vroeg in 2018 deur ASUF (Agri Sector Unity Forum) aanvaar en goedgekeur is. Hierdie strategie, wat daarna jaarliks aangepas en opgedateer is, skep 'n eenvormige landboubydrae vanuit landbougeledere ter ondersteuning van die SAPD se Landelike Veiligheidstrategie.
“Die inperking en handhawing van wet en orde stel groot eise aan die SAPD, maar dit is hoofsaaklik in digter bewoonde gebiede en op paaie waar 'n verhoogde sigbare polisiëring vereis word om nakoming van die inperkingsregulasies af te dwing,” sê Van Zyl. “Uiteraard is yler-bewoonde landbougebied nie meer verseker van effektiewe- en voorkomende polisiëring nie en derhalwe neem die belangrikheid van Plaaswag-aktiwiteite eksponensieel toe.”
Beskikbare inligting dui dat plaasaanvalle gedurende die eerste drie weke van inperking in vergeleke met die drie weke daarvoor, afgeneem het met sewe aanvalle en twee moorde in vergelyking met 16 aanvalle en vyf moorde). Maar in dieselfde tydperk het die diefstal van produkte en lewende hawe dramaties toegeneem.
“Dit is in die nasionale belang dat Suid-Afrika se landbouproduksie ten beste beskerm word sodat voedselsekerheid in stand gehou kan word,” sê hy. “Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die Minister van Polisie se weiering om soos in die verlede, Plaaswagte toe te laat om in samewerking met die SAPD voort te gaan met gebiedsbeveiliging, geen sin maak nie. Hoe gouer die regering die kortsigtigheid van hierdie onnodige en sinlose inperking gaan besef en Plaaswagte toelaat om soos die afgelope twee dekades voort te gaan met hul unieke funksie, hoe beter.”
TLU SA het ‘n platform geskep waarop Suid-Afrikaners ‘n petisie kan steun om druk op die regering uit te oefen om die Plaaswagte te aktiveer. Die petisie is by hierdie skakel beskikbaar.
