Die familieboerorganisasie Saai veroordeel die onsinnige, wrede moord op die 21-jarige Vrystaatse plaasbestuurder Brendin Horner buite Paul Roux
Dit het nie net dwarsoor Suid-Afrika nie, maar selfs in Europa en Noord-Amerika opslae gemaak. Namate meer Engelse media oor die aard en omvang van plaasmoorde berig, word al ernstiger vrae gevra oor die humanitêre krisis, en die regering se hantering daarvan.
Saai neem byna weekliks aan internasionale digitale konferensies oor plaasmoorde en onteiening sonder vergoeding deel, en het dit verlede jaar in Rome by die loodsing van die VN se Dekade vir Familieboere as een van die knellendste vraagstukke in landbou in die suidelike halfrond beklemtoon. Saai is daarom dankbaar dat een van ons netwerkvennote, AfriForum, ná nege jaar van bewusmakingsveldtogte oor plaasmoorde pas daarin geslaag het om as ’n belanghebbende nieregeringsorganisasie deur die VN erken te word en toegang tot debatte te kry. Saai sal nou met AfriForum saamwerk om die stem van familieboere van alle rasse op internasionale platforms te laat hoor waar die regering en die staat hulle versaak.
Sedert president Cyril Ramaphosa in September 2018 by die VN se Algemene Vergadering in New York ontken het dat plaasmoorde in Suid-Afrika ’n probleem is, het blootstelling van die grusame voorvalle in buitelandse media verbasend toegeneem. Saai beplan ’n tweede internasionale toer om met regerings in die noordelike halfrond te praat oor strategieë om die ANC te dwing om die probleem te erken en iets daaromtrent te doen.
Die ANC het die klimaat geskep waarin wegholstatistieke vir plaasaanvalle (gemiddeld elke tweede dag sedert 2000), en plaasmoorde (gemiddeld elke vyfde dag sedert 2000) ’n reuse- ekonomiese en sosio-maatskaplike krisis in die platteland te weeg gebring het. Dit was die ANC wat met “Kill the farmer, kill the boer” begin het; dit nog nooit verwerp of afgesweer het nie, en nou in geen posisie is om die EFF daaroor vas te vat nie. Dis ook die ANC wat die probleem ontken en in die parlementêre debat oor plaasmoorde die mees onsensitiewe, aanhitsende en skokkende tussenwerpsels daaroor geskree het. Dit is wat aan die internasionale gemeenskap blootgelê moet word.
Bheki Cele, minister van polisie, se tirade in Normandien, KZN, waar hy ná die ewe grusame moorde op die Rafferty-egpaar op hulle familieplaas, die gemeenskap op ’n rassegrondslag verder probeer polariseer het, toon dat hy deel van die probleem is, en daarom geensins die hoop vir ’n oplossing kan wees nie. Namate kriminaliteit, korrupsie en politieke kaping in die polisie deur die Zondo-kommissie en moordondersoeke soos dié op wyle lt.kol. Charl Kinnear ontbloot word, is daar ’n toenemende begrip vir die kwesbaarheid en selfaangewesenheid van Suid-Afrika se boeregemeenskap.
In plaas daarvan om ’n dinamiese landelike veiligheidsplan in vennootskap met plattelandse gemeenskappe en georganiseerde landbou van stapel te stuur, dwing die polisie boere om vir ’n onbeperkte tyd hul wapens in die administratiewe proses van herlisensiëring in te handig, en dit laat hulle juis meer kwesbaar in ’n tyd waarin hulle dit die minste kan bekostig.
Die verskonings dat boere self vir plaasmoorde verantwoordelik is omdat hulle hul werkers mishandel, is nog nooit deur voorvalle, feite of navorsing ondersteun nie, en is tekenend van die ANC se aandadigheid in die skep van ’n klimaat waarin plaasmoorde gedy. Eweneens is die vingerwysing na Zimbabwiërs en plaaswerkers uit buurlande ’n goedkoop manier om hulle verantwoordelikheid te ontduik, en nie op feite of verifieerbare navorsing gegrond nie.
Om die krisis van plaasmoorde op te los, moet die ANC eerstens die probleem erken en prioritiseer. Dan moet hulle tegelykertyd ’n spesiale multidepartementele taakspan van veiligheidsamptenare wat bo verdenking is op die been bring om in vennootskap met burgerlike strukture en privaat sekuriteitsmaatskappye ’n landelike veiligheidsplan te implementeer, en onafhanklike navorsing laat doen om die dryfvere, tendense en ongesonde beleidsklimaat wetenskaplik te ondersoek.
Daar is te veel politieke partye en groepe soos die EFF, BLF en faksies binne die ANC wat vir plaasmoorde vra, en dit aanhits. Die marteling en brutaliteit van die moorde, soos dié op die jong Brendin Horner, is ongeëwenaard, en tekenend van haatmisdaad. Dat die veiligheidsdienste ook nog nooit ’n vinger verroer het nie teen die tienduisende mense wat plaasmoorde op sosiale media goedkeur, spreek ook boekdele. Dit maak dat plaasmoorde nie bloot ’n verlengstuk van ’n algemene klimaat van wetteloosheid is nie.
Suid-Afrika se landbougemeenskap was nog nooit so gefrustreerd en teleurgesteld in die staat soos nou nie. Ter wille van landelike stabiliteit, moet die ANC sy standpunte oor en benadering tot plaasmoorde dringend in heroorweging neem.
Gemoedere onder boere loop hoog. Saai sal Dinsdag saam met gemeenskapslede voor die Landdroshof in Senekal hul simpatie met die Horner-gesin kom betuig.
Saai condemns senseless, cruel murder on Free State farm manager
The organisation for family farmers Saai condemns the senseless, cruel murder outside Paul Roux on the 21-year old Free State farm manager Bredin Horner. It did not only have repercussions throughout South Africa but even in Europe and North America. In so far as the English media reports more about the nature and extent of farm murders, more serious questions are being asked about the humanitarian crisis and the government’s handling thereof.
Saai participates almost weekly in international digital conferences regarding farm murders and expropriation without compensation and flagged this as one of the most pressing questions in agriculture in the southern hemisphere last year in Rome with the launching of the UN’s Decade of Family Famers. Saai is therefore thankful that one of its network partners, AfriForum, after nine years of awareness campaigns about farm murders, just succeeded in being recognised as an interested non-governmental organisation by the UN and with access to debates. Saai will work closely with AfriForum to let the voice of family farmers of all races be heard on international platforms where the government and the state neglected them.
Since President Cyril Ramaphosa denied in September 2018 at the UN’s General Meeting in New York that farm murders in South Africa are a problem, exposure of the gruesome incidents surprisingly increased in foreign media. Saai plans a second international tour to talk to governments in the northern hemisphere about strategies to force the ANC to recognise the problem and do something about it.
The ANC created the climate wherein runaway statistics for farm attacks (average every second day since 2000) and farm murders (average every fifth day since 2000) caused a massive economic and welfare crisis in the rural areas. It was the ANC that started with “Kill the farmer, kill the boer”; they have never rejected or renounced it and are now in no position to rebuke the EFF about it. It is also the ANC that refuses to see the problem and in the parliamentary debate about farm murders shouted the most insensitive, inflammatory and shocking interjections about it. This is what needs to be exposed to the international community .
Bheki Cele, Minister of Police’s tirade in Normandien, KZN, where he further tried to polarise the community on a racial basis after the equally gruesome murder on the Rafferty couple on their family farm, shows that he is part of the problem and therefore can by no means be the hope for a solution. As criminality, corruption and political hijacking in the police are exposed by the Zondo Commission and the murder investigations like the one on late Lt Col Charl Kinnear, there is an increasing understanding of the vulnerability and self-reliance of South Africa’s farming community
Instead of launching a dynamic rural safety plan in partnership with rural communities and organised agriculture, the police forces farmers to hand in their weapons for an unlimited time in the administrative process of relicensing and that leaves them vulnerable at a time where they can least afford it.
The excuses that farmers themselves are responsible for farm murders because they ill-treat their workers, have never been supported by incidents, facts and research and is typical of the ANC’s complicity in creating a climate where farm murders flourish. In addition, the finger-pointing to Zimbabweans and farm workers from neighbouring countries is a cheap way of evading responsibility and is not based on facts or verifiable research.
To solve the farm murder crisis, the ANC must first recognise and prioritise the problem. They must at the same time bring about a special multi-departmental task team of security officers that are above reproach in partnership with civil structures and private security companies to implement a rural safety plan and perform independent research to scientifically investigate the incentives, tendencies and unhealthy policy climate.
There are too many political parties and groups like the EFF, BLF and factions in the ANC that ask for farm attacks and incite it. The torture and brutality of the murders like the murder on young Brendin Horner is unmatched and typical of hate speech. That the safety services have never lifted a finger against the tens of thousands of people that approve of farm murders on social media, speaks volumes. This makes farm murders not merely an extension of a general climate of lawlessness.
South Africa’s agricultural community has never been as frustrated and disappointed with the state as they are now. For the sake of rural stability the ANC must take their points of view and their approach to farm murders into urgent reconsideration.
Feelings among farmers run high. Saai and large numbers of people will express their sympathy with the Horner family on Tuesday in front of the Magistrate’s Court in Senekal.
