Hennenman farm murder: Not ordinary crime

6 November 2020

The murder of Pieter Hills on his farm in Hennenman in the Free State is the third farm murder that was committed in this province in just over a month's time. According to sources in the community, he was murdered execution style.

His son, Eddie, reportedly walked in on the attack when his father was already tied up and he was critically injured.

The brutality of this attack once again goes to show that farm attacks are not ordinary crime. Political leaders who regularly make a point of demonising farmers must be held accountable for the hate that they incite against the agricultural community.

The fact that this cruel farm murder occurred within just a few hours after the EFF tabled a parliamentary motion about farmers allegedly treating their workers badly is not a coincidence.

The EFF is making irresponsible and populist statements in a desperate attempt to remain relevant. Statements, like "We are coming for your farms", by Members of Parliament only fan the flames of racial hate in rural areas.

The high incidence of and extreme cruelty associated with farm attacks point to hate and it certainly relates to the irresponsible statements by leaders of some parties, like the ANC and the EFF.

The ANC is unable to effectively address and resolve the safety and security problem in the rural areas of the Free State and, thus, agricultural communities have lost all their faith in the government's ability to protect farmers.

Agricultural communities have had it with the cruel attacks on farms and a government that is failing miserably to protect them.

The government's failure to declare farm attacks and farm murders priority crimes shows that the ANC does not want to solve the problem.

The FF Plus has spoken to the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Sam Mashinini, who indicated that he will pay a visit to the scene of the crime. Such a visit is, unfortunately, too little too late.

The FF Plus will continue to demand that farm attacks and murders in rural areas must be declared priority crimes.

Statement issued by Jan van Niekerk, FF Plus provincial leader: Free State, 6 November 2020