TLU SA calls on the minister of police, Mr Bheki Cele, to clarify if farm attacks and murders receive the attention it so urgently requires. Even if – according to him – it does not enjoy the status of a National Priority Crime anymore.
The minister this week in parliament said – in answer to a question from the DA – these crimes are not classified as priority crimes. He said farm attacks fall under other severe crimes like murder, attempted murder, sexual attacks, assault and robbery. According to him, they handle these crimes under the SAPS’s National Rural Safety Strategy implemented from 1 March this year and which will be in place for the next five years.
“It seems like the minister is more concerned about semantics than human lives,” says Mr Henry Geldenhuys, the president of TLU SA. “Research shows that these types of attacks and murders on farms contain other elements than the ‘normal’ cases of murder and robbery.
“The protection of our members – the farmers who produce the food South Africans eat every day – is the most important issue for TLU SA. The minister should know that farmers stand together and that they can paralyse the country when food production is affected.”
The recent farm attacks across the country saw very high levels of violence and racial tension. The EFF’s continued rants about land issues and the minister calling commercial farmers disrespectful and allowing communities to yell and insult them only serve to increase the tension even more.
“The minister lets farmers in the country down,” says Mr Geldenhuys. “Our borders are not protected, stock theft is ever-increasing, and farm attacks get more violent than ever. Our feedback indicates an alarming element of racial hatred during such attacks. The minister says he sees every murder on a South African as serious, but it is time for him to realise that race plays a role when it comes to farm attacks.”
TLU SA eis dat plaasaanvalle meer aandag geniet
TLU SA eis dat die minister van polisie, mnr. Bheki Cele, duidelikheid gee oor of plaasaanvalle en -moorde die aandag ontvang wat dit dringend benodig. Selfs al het dit volgens hom nie meer die status van ‘n Nasionale Prioriteitsmisdaad nie.
Die minister het vandeesweek in die parlement, in antwoord op ‘n vraag van die DA, gesê dat hierdie misdade nie as prioriteitsmisdade geklassifiseer word nie omdat dit reeds onder ander misdade soos moord, poging tot moord, seksuele aanvalle, aanranding en roof as statistiek vasgelê word. Volgens hom word hierdie misdade onder die SAPD se Nasionale Landelike Veiligheid Strategie hanteer. Die strategie is op 1 Maart vanjaar geïmplementeer en sal vir die volgende vyf jaar in plek wees.
“Vir die minister gaan dit blykbaar oor die semantiek en nie die beskerming van menselewens nie,” sê mnr. Henry Geldenhuys, die president van TLU SA. “Navorsing het reeds bewys dat die tipe aanvalle en moorde op plase ander elemente as die ‘normale’ moord en roof-voorvalle het.
“Vir ons is die beskerming van ons lede – die landbouers wat elke dag die kos produseer wat Suid-Afrikaners eet – die belangrikste kwessie. Die minister moet ook weet dat landbouers saam staan en dat hulle die land kan lam lê indien voedselproduksie geaffekteer word.”
Die onlangse plaasaanvalle regoor die land gaan gepaard met uitermatige vlakke van geweld en rassespanning. Dit word verder op ‘n mespunt gedryf deur uitsprake van die EFF oor grondkwessies en die minister wat kommersiële boere as disrespekvol uitkryt en toelaat dat hulle verskree en beledig word.
“Die minister laat landbouers in die land in die steek,” sê mnr. Geldenhuys. “Ons grense word nie beskerm nie, veediefstal neem al hoe meer toe en plaasaanvalle word al hoe meer gewelddadig. Ons terugvoer wys ‘n kommerwekkende element van rassehaat in aanvalle. Dit is goed en wel dat die minister sê hy beskou die moord van enige Suid-Afrikaner as ernstig, maar dit is ook tyd dat hy besef dat ras wel ‘n rol speel wanneer dit by plaasaanvalle kom.”
