68 days and counting - Ramaphosa still refuses to take action on farm murders
15 August 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa is now firmly part of the problem on the ongoing failure to find a lasting solution to the escalating crisis of farm attacks and murders. 68 days after the DA submitted a formal request to his office requesting that he considers establishing a Commission of Inquiry into farm attacks and murders, Ramaphosa has chosen to ignore our submissions.
The DA asked Ramaphosa to use his authority in terms of Chapter 584(2)(f) of the Constitution, which empowers him to appoint commissions of inquiry, to set up an inquiry that will investigate the root cause of increasing farm murders and attacks in the country. The inquiry will have the mandate to make recommendations and advise on a comprehensive plan to safeguard our farming and rural communities against criminal activities.
Ramaphosa’s lack of decisive action on violence directed at farmers is part of the reason why individuals such as EFF leader, Julius Malema, have become emboldened to sing incendiary songs that further compromises the safety of farmers. Ramaphosa’s silence has effectively become tacit approval of EFF hooliganism against farming and rural communities.
Since submitting our formal request for a Commission of Inquiry, statistics show that 16 farm murders have been registered between May and July 2023. This represents a 56% jump in the murder rate when compared with the first quarter of 2023. These are individuals whose only crime was producing food to feed the nation but were left exposed by their government to marauding gangs of murderers.