Farmers must feel safe and protected

05 May 2015

Yesterday the DA met with farmers, community members, South African Police Service (SAPS) and agricultural unions in Modimolle, Limpopo following a recent spate of farm attacks and murders in the area. 

The DA learnt that since January 2015 there have been 22 farm attacks in Limpopo, and seven farm murders.

A DA delegation consisting of myself, Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, Annette Steyn MP, Jacques Smalle MPL,Desiree van der Walt MP, Langa Bodlani MPL and Kathlego Phaala MPL found a community traumatised by these attacks.

The Station Commander at Modimolle Police Station informed us that half his vehicles were sitting at garages, and that Modimolle Police Station experiences high levels of absenteeism.  While the SAPS Captain says he has sufficient staff, he just doesn’t have the numbers to deal with the growing problems in the area.

According to SAPS, farm murders have increased by 30% in the country since 2010.

Experts predict that commercial farmer numbers will decline to 15 000 individuals over the next fifteen years, causing significant job losses in the agricultural sector added to which the local production of food will drop dramatically. This severely risks our food security as a country.

Farm attacks and murders not only tear families apart, but are a threat to the country’s food security and threaten job-creation in the agricultural sector.

The DA has repeatedly called for a new approach to rural safety that will put the protection of all rural communities at the heart of its approach.

To ensure the safety of all farming communities, the DA in national government would:

- Establish a specialised rural safety unit within the SAPS;

- specialised Rural Reaction Units to clearly identify rural crime “hotspots” on a rotating basis;

- Improve rural crime intelligence gathering; and

- Create a SAPS Rural Intelligence Centre that would improve the gathering and analysing of rural crime information and thus better inform crime prevention initiatives.

It is clear that the lack of a rural safety plan is having a massive impact on our rural community. 

These are people who feed our nation- farmers, farm workers, staff at commercial farms and emerging farmers are all vital to South Africa’s livelihood.

From discussions yesterday with farmers, farm workers and the rural community at large it is clear that they increasingly feel isolated and unsafe. 

Every South African should feel safe and protected in our country. The DA will continue to fight for the safety and protection of rural communities.

Statement issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA National Spokesperson, May 5 2015