Farm murders: Widow directs video message to Ramaphosa and the USA

3 October 2018  

Mariandra Heunis, whose husband was murdered in 2016, published a video on her Facebook page in which she directs a message to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the people of the USA about the crisis of farm murders in South Africa. The video is in reaction to Ramaphosa’s recent statement in the USA that there is no such thing as farm murders in South Africa, as well as in reaction to the South African government’s refusal to treat farm murders as a priority crime. The video was also published on AfriForum’s YouTube channel.

In the video Heunis recounts how her husband, Johann Heunis, was murdered in front of her and their six-year-old daughter, while Mariandra was far along in her pregnancy. She also tells how she gave birth to their baby boy only five days after his father’s funeral. She recounts what she had to go through as widow and single mom and urges the people of the USA to imagine how it would’ve been for them to have gone through what she had to go through. “These attacks do happen. It happens almost daily, and our story is one of thousands,” says Heunis. She continues: “These attacks happen. And it happens to good and normal people. What would you do if this happened to you? What would you do if your government denies that it happens? Would you keep quiet?”

The video concludes with an appeal to the public to spread the message, and to Americans to ask their representatives to take a stand against farm murders in South Africa. The video also includes a reference to the book Kill the Boer by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, for more information on farm murders.

Roets says that AfriForum supports Heunis in this and will include her in the organisation’s campaign for creating international awareness on farm murders. Roets and Heunis appealed to the public to share the video.

Issued by Marelie Greeff, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum, 3 October 2018