Joint media statement by AfriForum and TAU SA: Statistics for farm attacks and farm murders during 2014 announced

The civil rights organisation AfriForum and the agricultural union TAU SA today announced the statistics for farm attacks and farm murders committed during 2014 at a joint media conference in Centurion.

A total of 277 farm attacks of which the details could be verified by the two organisations were carried out during 2014. A total of 67 farm murders could be verified for the same year. The figures show that since 1990 there hasn't been a year in which 277 farm attacks could be verified. It also shows a systematic increase in the annual number of farm murders since 2011.

The organisations also announced that nine farm murders have already been committed since the beginning of 2015.

Both AfriForum and TAU SA expressed their concern over the fact that pres. Jacob Zuma over the weekend appealed to farmers to do more to improve the living conditions of their workers, while he was not willing to make pronouncements on the thousands of farmers that have already been murdered. 

The two organisations announced they will in the near future write to the secretary general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, to request a conversation with the ANC leadership.

Statement issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO, AfriForum and Genl. Chris van Zyl, Assistant general manager, TAU SA, January 15 2015

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