AfriForum visits farm attack survivors with American broadcaster

The civil rights organisation AfriForum’s community safety team together with the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) today visited two farms to talk to a farm attack victim, as well as the family of farm murder victims.

On the Engelbrecht family’s farm outside Fochville, where two members of the family – Fanie (78) and Colleen (74) – were killed on 13 May this year during a brutal farm attack. ABC interviewed Jo-an and Sua Engelbrecht, the murdered couple’s children, during the visit. Jo-an found his parents dead in the house of their farm Welgevonden. Among other, Colleen was burnt with a clothing iron before she was strangled and her throat slit. 

AfriForum’s community safety team and ABC were also on the farm of Bernadette Hall outside Fochville where David Hall, her husband, was assaulted and murdered by farm attackers, and she was amongst others hacked with a machete.

“We have to ensure that every victim’s story is told and that no one is reduced to a part of statistics. The world should be aware of the stories of farm attack victims. About 210 farm attacks and 27 farm murders have already occurred this year,” says Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety.

Cameron argues that the international community must see how the South African government continuously fails to implement plans for rural safety and that communities are left to their own devices regarding safety. The visit follows shortly after Bheki Cele, Minister of Police, again failed to declare farm murders priority crimes.

Statement issued by Ian Cameron, Head: Community Safety. AfriForum, 15 June 2018