The chant, “No farmer, no food!” reverberated through Barberton at midday on Monday as over 100 local farmers and community members took to the streets to raise awareness of farm murders.The marchers gathered at

Barberton Police Station for #BlackMonday, wearing black and carrying posters.

Bystanders around town and in shops stopped what they were doing to watch the procession en route from the police station to Crown Street and then on to De Villiers, before returning to where it had started.

Read More: Man killed and two assaulted during farm attack

Placards held by the marchers read: “Please, justice for Zuma and his victim, South Africa” and “Stop farm murders”.

Along the way the marchers shouted slogans: “No farmer, no meat. No farmer, no chicken. Enough is enough”.

Speaking to Barberton Times at the finishing point, Coelett Delport, one of the organisers of the march said the mass action formed part of the call for South Africans to wear black on Monday, to commemorate the lives of those killed in farm attacks.

She said they did not expect such a large crowd because the details of the event were given on short notice.
“Planning this march, we told ourselves that one is an individual and more than two is a crowd. The turnout has been overwhelming and we did not anticipate it. We thank all those who took these few hours and came and participated in raising awareness and express their concern,” said Delport. She said the killing of farmers is not race-based.

Also Read: Assault and terror after farm murder

“Just last week we lost two lives in a farm-related attack incident,” said Delport, referring to the shooting incident on Boondocks Farm last Tuesday, in which a local farmer, Luke von Johnston and farm manager, John Ntimane were gunned down.

The marchers concluded the event by singing the national anthem and with a prayer.