AfriForum announces huge campaign against farm murders together with celebrities
Last night AfriForum announced its Stop the Murders campaign which aims to involve the public in the struggle against farm murders. Many of the country's best-known Afrikaans celebrities, including Steve Hofmeyr, Chris Chameleon, Bobby van Jaarsveld, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Pieter Koen and Gerrie Pretorius, attended the launch and announced their support for the campaign.
At the occasion a dozen projects as well as the website, www.stopthemurders.co.za, were announced. The website gives the public a platform to become involved in the campaign by entering their contact details, after which AfriForum will contact them to explain how they can contribute to the fight against farm murders. AfriForum's latest video, titled Skep Moed (Take Heart), was also announced on the website. This video was made to remind despondent South Africans of the hard times previous generations experienced, and to encourage them to take heart and make a constructive contribution to South Africa.
Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, explained that the campaign loosely stands on two legs. ‘On the one side we demand action by the government. We will continue with our campaign until farm murders are prioritised and specialist units for rural safety are established. On the other side we say that we will not wait until government acts, but that we will constructively look after our safety by joining community safety networks.
Roets said at the occasion that the government's silence about farm murders makes the public suspicious. ‘Some people believe that farm murders are planned centrally. Others believe that the government sees them as second-class citizens and that their safety is not a priority to government. They see the government's silence as confirmation.'
Roets added that this campaign would only succeed if many members of the public join by visiting www.stopthemurders.co.za and declaring their involvement.
The complete campaign plan, with details about the 12 projects that AfriForum will run, follows below.
AfriForum
One Dozen Projects against Farm Attacks
1. Creating Awareness
The public must be informed about the reality; not just about the fact that farm attacks are a reality, but also about what they can do to pressurise government to classify farm attacks as a priority crime, and about what they should do to improve their own safety themselves. The recent attack on the American farmer, Allen Rodgers (61), heightened the international prominence of farm attacks. The international community has to be informed so that they too, in the interests of their citizens, can pressurise the South African government to be serious in addressing farm murders and attacks. AfriForum wants to distinguish itself from those organisations that are trying to promote awareness about farm murders through graphic "shock tactics", by rather using reliable information and tested research.
AfriForum plans the following:
- A countrywide awareness campaign in which the reality of farm attacks will be conveyed to students in particular. AfriForum will become involved in the distribution of the documentary, War of the Flea. This documentary will be shown at campuses countrywide.
- An international awareness process which focuses on the reality of farm murders will be launched. AfriForum will send a memorandum to 100 countries and international organisations to call their attention to the reality of farm murders. The focus will mainly be on those countries and organisations that are probably not all too aware of the problem, as well as on countries and organisations that could bring diplomatic pressure to bear on the South African government to indeed take steps to act on this matter.
2. Involve Opinion Shapers
Opinion shapers have an important role to play in informing the public about the reality of farm murders, and to demand that the issue is addressed. Many opinion shapers are already doing invaluable work in this regard. AfriForum will support those opinion shapers, but will also involve others. Opinion shapers that will be approached, include artists, academics, civil organisations and the media.
AfriForum plans the following:
- An action will be launched which will give artists the opportunity to pledge their support to the campaign. Artists will also be approached to appeal to their supporters to become involved in the campaign, especially as far as AfriForum's initiative regarding community safety networks is concerned.
- Ongoing discussions with academics, in particular political scientists, lawyers and criminologists will be held to encourage them to do research on the topic, and to publish such research.
- AfriForum will build good relationships with civil organisations which have already taken a position on the matter. AfriForum will also liaise with those civil organisations which have not yet taken a position on farm murders.
- Appointments will be made with influential local and international journalists to discuss the reality of farm murders, and AfriForum's campaign and demands with them.
3. Community Safety Networks
While the campaign will in the main focus on getting government to declare farm murders as a priority crime, it is just as important to get farming communities to take the responsibility to properly ensure their own safety. AfriForum's research indicates that the best way to reduce crime in communities, is by mobilising the public into community safety networks.
AfriForum plans the following:
- A report on community safety, drafted by AfriForum's investigative unit, in collaboration with Prof Rudolph Zinn, will be abridged. This summary will be distributed among those members of the public who have indicated their willingness to become involved with the "Stop the Murders" campaign.
- AfriForum will encourage its members to join community safety networks, or to establish such where they do not yet exist.
- Local communities, wishing to establish community safety networks, will be given advice. Although AfriForum will do the initial groundwork and will offer the necessary advice, it is important for the sake of sustainability that such initiative comes from the communities themselves.
- AfriForum will host a national summit on rural safety. Community safety networks will be invited to the summit and proven strategies to deal with crime at a local level will be exchanged.
4. Research
The fact that government refuses to publish statistics on farm murders, forces AfriForum to do its own research in this regard and to release such. AfriForum will research this topic on an ongoing basis.
AfriForum plans the following:
- As part of the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum will remain involved in the TAU SA's initiative to keep statistics on farm murders.
- A comprehensive report on farm murders will be released. This report will elaborate on the nature and extent of farm murders, the impact it has on families and communities, and the economic implications of farm murders. The report will also include practical steps government and communities can take to address the issue. Many experts will be involved in this undertaking.
- This report will be included in the second edition of the book, Land of Sorrow, (Kraal Publishers).
- The report's findings will be released at a conference. It will also be used to gain support for the campaign.
5. Lobbying among other organisations
Many influential institutions have not as yet taken much of a position or any position for that matter, on farm murders. AfriForum will establish contact with those institutions in particular. However, those who have expressed their opinion on the matter will also be contacted. The focus will be on government commissions, research institutions and political parties.
AfriForum plans the following:
* Liaison with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC);
* Liaison with the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL);
* Liaison with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS);
* Liaison with the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR);
* Liaison with political parties, including the ruling party.
6. Legal Strategy
In 2003, the government of former State President Thabo Mbeki abolished local commandos. When it was announced that commandos would be abolished, a promise was made that alternative structures would be created for rural safety. However, this promise has never been fulfilled. AfriForum will investigate the possibility of forcing government by means of a court order to create specialist units for rural safety. More information will be made available in due course.
7. The Battle against Hate Speech
With their hate speech, the ruling party, and in particular its youth league, are creating a climate in which violence against farmers is being romanticised. AfriForum is gravely concerned about the ANC's official stance that songs like "Skiet die Boer"/ "Kill the Boer (Farmer)" may be chanted at political gatherings, especially when it is accompanied by radical statements about land reform. AfriForum's campaign to end hate speech will go ahead full steam.
AfriForum plans the following:
* The ANC's appeal against the "Kill the Boer" verdict will be opposed in the Supreme Court of Appeal. AfriForum will take this matter to the Constitutional Court, and if need be, to the Boardrooms of the UN.
* AfriForum will pursue legal action against Ronald Lamola for his statement that the safety of "the Van Tonders and Van der Merwes" cannot be guaranteed as long as they are not prepared to relinquish their land without compensation. At the moment, AfriForum represents more than a thousand South Africans with the surnames Van Tonder or Van der Merwe.
* Similar steps will be taken against any influential person who incites racial hatred among his/her supporters.
8. Preparations for an International Campaign
While many steps can still be taken at a local level, AfriForum is currently in a preparation phase to also wage this campaign at international level. In AfriForum's experience, the hasty and somewhat ill-considered actions of local anti-farm murder organisations, have contributed to the existence of certain false perceptions about the matter abroad, and particularly at the UN. AfriForum aims to correct these perceptions through reliable information and credible conduct.
AfriForum plans the following:
* Registration as a nongovernmental organisation with the UN's Social and Economic Council (ECOSOC). This will offer AfriForum a platform to address numerous international gatherings.
* AfriForum's research team will investigate possible liaison with various UN affiliated institutions.
* Liaison with other organisations which are not necessarily UN accredited will also be undertaken.
* AfriForum is currently in a preparation phase to establish a dedicated unit for international liaison.
9. National Day of Protest
It is of critical importance that this campaign is not only waged at a national and international level, but that it is also undertaken at a local community level. For this reason, AfriForum plans to organise a national day of protest, which would create an opportunity for local communities to become involved in the campaign.
AfriForum plans the following:
* A memorandum, demanding that farm murders be declared a priority crime, will be handed to at least 100 police stations countrywide on one single day. Local communities are to present the memorandum to their police station. This initiative can only be successful if the public joins this campaign in large numbers.
10. Liaison with the SAPS
AfriForum will remain in discussion with the South African Police Service and will furnish them with information on why and how farm murders have to be dealt with as a priority crime. Liaison will focus specifically on the Minister of Police and the National Police Commissioner.
AfriForum plans the following:
* An appointment with the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa
* An appointment with National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega
* AfriForum's structures will be encouraged to establish links with their local police stations.
11. Local Protests
Protests will play an important role in AfriForum's campaign. In AfriForum's experience there is huge frustration in rural areas with government's lack of action, and it is important to provide an outlet for this frustration. Apart from offering an outlet, protest action is also an important way of demonstrating at local, national and international level South Africans' discontent with government's silence on farm murders. AfriForum regularly receives requests from rural areas to organise protests. It is AfriForum's view that local communities should take the initiative for such action themselves. In future, AfriForum will, however, fulfil a more supportive role in this regard.
AfriForum plans the following:
* A manual will be drafted with guideline to organise protests in local communities.
* This manual will be distributed to AfriForum's structures, and will also be made available to members of the public interested in organising such action.
* Although AfriForum will continue to encourage communities wishing to organise protests, to do so by themselves, AfriForum will lend more support to such actions, especially by offering advice on tried and tested practices for organising local protests.
12. Support to Victims
AfriForum and AfriForum Youth have already done a great deal to support victims of farm attacks, especially in those instances where the police's reaction to a farm attack is less than satisfactory. Although AfriForum has no intention whatsoever of assuming the police's role in this regard, AfriForum's investigative unit will continue to support the victims of farm attacks in certain circumstances.
AfriForum plans the following:
* AfriForum's investigative unit will, where necessary, support the victims of farm attacks by assisting them with advice.
* AfriForum Youth will continue with its initiative to pay hospital visits in certain instances to the victims of farm attacks.
* Those opinion shapers who have pledged their support to the campaign, will be encouraged to join AfriForum when the victims of farm attacks are visited.
Issued by AfriForum, August 29 2012
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