Farming community’s safety is a priority 

19 August 2019

“The safety of the farming community in South Afrika is a priority for the Agri Securitas Trust Fund; therefore, it has recently again allocated more than R1,5 million to approximately 420 farmers and 15 500 farm workers across South Africa via 12 farmer associations for the installation of camera networks and the purchase of security equipment,” said Japie Grobler, chair of the Agri Securitas Trust Fund.

“The safety of our farmers and farm workers is important and, with the financial assistance of the Trust Fund, we help to protect the asset that is responsible for stability and food security in the country. The degree to which the farming community is subject to violence and property-related crime poses an enormous problem for the sector and all South Africans should be made aware of this. At the same time, we must also take note of the crime that threatens other communities in the country and the negative impact this has on their right to safety,” said Grobler.

Funds were allocated to farmer associations in Northwest, Northern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Farmer associations are to an increasing extent relying on camera systems which offer them observation capability over a wider area. With these systems, suspicious vehicles and people that access an area can be identified, which in turn enables the community to respond promptly in the case of suspicious incidents.

Stock theft is one of the main property-related crimes experienced by members of these farmer associations and which result in serious financial losses. The farming community is also subject to home burglaries and the accompanying trauma. The theft and destruction of farm infrastructure and smuggling are crimes to which the farming community is increasingly exposed. For this reason, the Trust Fund, with the funds at its disposal, attempts to contribute towards their protection.

Grobler concluded by saying: “The Trust Fund will appreciate all possible financial contributions from the corporate and private sector so that it can continue with its work, especially against the backdrop of the escalating demand for financial support. The Trust Fund remains a neutral and ideal platform to contribute towards the fight against rural crime and the protection of our farming community.”

Issued by Japie Grobler, Agri Securitas Trust Fund Chairman, 19 August 2019