FF Plus in talks with Minister and Commissioner of police after legal action was taken against farmers that participated in the Black Monday protest

1 November 2017  

It is with shock that the FF Plus learnt that some of the farmers that participated in the Black Monday protest action were served with a summons and we are taking up the matter with the Minister and Commissioner of Police, says Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus.

One of the farmers is the 69-year-old Mr Pieter Wagner from Modimolle. Mr Wagner has been summoned to appear in court in Bela-Bela tomorrow (2 November) and he is being charged with organising an illegal protest as well as illegally blocking the road in terms of the Road Traffic Act.

According to Dr Groenewald, the legal action taken against the farmers is shocking and unacceptable as all the protests held across the country were peaceful.

“No-one, who took part in the countrywide protest marches, blocked the roads with burning tyres or rocks and no-one vandalised property. People of all races participated in the campaign of their own accord and it was for a legitimate cause, which is the unacceptably high number of farm murders taking place on the present government’s watch.

“With this attitude, the government is waving a red flag in front of all the peace-loving citizens of South Africa and the legal action is a slap in the face of the agricultural community in particular.

“The FF Plus was under the impression that the Minister approved of the protest action seeing as he was aware of it beforehand and he did not warn against it. Clearly the legal action taken against the farmers is a result of political pressure on the Minister.

“The FF Plus wholeheartedly supports the farmers in this matter and will do everything in its power on the political front to put pressure on the government to keep them from proceeding with the action against the farmers,” says Dr Groenewald.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 1 November 2017

Malicious prosecution by police after #BlackMonday

It has come to the attention of AfriForum that in Limpopo, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, police are unlawfully insisting that community members report at police stations, following their involvement in this week's #BlackMonday protests across the country.

"Police are now busy with politics and their violation of people's civil rights testifies to their inability to stop crime, and especially farm murders. The police are trying to shift the focus from the slaughter of farmers in South Africa with political action. It is bad enough that police minister Fikile Mbalula manufactures and distributes news on this matter. This witch hunt proves the politicising of the police in this country," said Ian Cameron, AfriForum's head of community safety.

In a telephone call, Major General J.J. Tsotsesti also threatened Ernst Roets, deputy CEO of AfriForum, with action those participating in #BlackMonday protests. However, the general could not at all say what these charges would be.

AfriForum, TLUSA and the Solidarity Movement will again walk to the Union Building against farm murders on 25 November 2017.

"We urge members of the public to contact us if illegal action is taken against them," said Cameron.

Issued by Ian Cameron, Head: Community Safety, AfriForum, 1 November 2017