FARM MURDERS REQUIRE DECISIVE INTERVENTION

Dr. Pieter Mulder, leader of the Freedom Front Plus and deputy minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries this morning attended the hearing in the Lindley Magistrate's Court of the suspects who had been arrested in relation to the gruesome murder of the Potgieter family and their three year old daughter.

"The ANC government must wake up and declare farm murders a priority crime. It is very important that the ANC leaders consistently condemn this type of murders in public," Dr. Mulder said.

Leaders and supporters of the FF Plus today gathered outside the Lindley Magistrate's Court to show their protest against the apathetic attitude of the government toward farm murders.

"A climate which leads to this type of cruel murders is being created by irresponsible propagandist comments. These murders are gruesome and contain a strong element of racism. ANC leaders sing songs with word such as ‘Kill the Boer' and it creates an atmosphere of racism within which these murders take place," Dr. Mulder added.

"Farmers in South Africa is the group in which the most murders take place, on average 313 in every 100 000 people and then only do law enforcers, such as members of the Police, follow with a figure of 153 in every 100 000. The committee which investigated farm murders in 2003, at the time already found that the chances of a victim of a farm attack being injured is two times more than this happening to a victim of a transit-heist.

The chances that the victim in a farm attack will die are three times higher than it is for victims of transit-heists. If the Police could view transit-heists as priority crimes, so much more should farm murders be viewed as priority crimes," Dr. Mulder said.

Statement issued by Dr Pieter Mulder, FF Plus Leader and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, December 6 2010

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