Police investigation into causes of farm attacks is crucial

9 September 2020

The interministerial Committee on Land reform's decision to ask the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to launch an in-depth investigation into the underlying causes of farm attacks and murders is timely and the investigation must be conducted as soon as possible.

Deputy President David Mabuza is heading the Committee.

During the recent parliamentary debate on the topic of farm attacks and murders (1 September 2020), the leader of the FF Plus (Dr Pieter Groenewald) called on the Minister to conduct such an investigation.

Dr Groenewald’s request to the Minister was to once again conduct an in-depth investigation into farm attacks, similar to the special investigation into farm attacks and murders that was conducted in 2003, to determine the underlying causes.

The investigation must be thorough and objective and the findings of the 2003 report must also be incorporated because at that time it was found that there are four main causes of farm attacks.

These causes were: politically motivated, racially motivated, the issue of land reform and ordinary crime.

The FF Plus supports such an investigation. If we want to combat farm murders effectively, we must determine what the causes are and what drives the perpetrators. The FF Plus has always held the view that it cannot be considered ordinary crime due to the brutality associated with most of the attacks and murders.

In many cases, murders are committed while no valuables are stolen. This confirms the findings of the 2003 report as regards the reasons for these attacks and the full extent of it must now be determined.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 9 September 2020