Murder of Mr Moloi highlights the need for rural safety units

The murder of Mr Mandeni Johannes Moloi, on his farm outside Senekal in the early hours of Thursday morning, highlights the need for a SAPS rural safety unit to keep farmworkers and farmers safe. Mr Moloi was alone on the farm at the time.

We have learned with sadness that Mr Moloi passed away at the Hoogland Mediclinic in Bethlehem on Thursday night.

The DA conveys its condolences to the family and friends of Mr Moloi. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

While the DA welcomes the quick response from the SAPS in apprehending the two alleged perpetrators for the attack, it remains unclear why no urgent police action was taken to address the several break in attempts at Mr Moloi’s house, a clear indication that his life was in danger.

The attack on Mr Moloi is a lived reality for most rural communities across South Africa. According to the SAPS crime stats released for 2017-2018, eight people were murdered on farms in the Free State during that year.

Rural communities, farmers and farmworkers live in constant fear, while this failing ANC-led government neglects to introduce specialised rural safety units within the SAPS. The DA believes that only such units, with specialised strategies, intelligence capacity and dedicated resources to exclusively deal with rural safety, will be in a position to combat this scourge.

The DA will continue to fight at every level of government to bring about this much needed change in strategy.

The Free State needs a government which is serious about the safety and security of all its residents, and about order within all its communities. The DA is the party which can bring such a government.

Statement issued by Leona Kleynhans, DA Gauteng MPL, 5 October 2018