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WATCH: Steve Hofmeyr’s son demands action from Cele to stop North West farm killings
The Brits community demands action from the police minister, saying they are fed up with the farm killings and fearing for their lives.
Brits residents including farmers called on Cele, to address farm killings and crime. Photo: Saps
Black and white residents cheered as Devon Hofmeyr, the son of South African Afrikaans musician Steve Hofmeyr, told Police Minster Bheki Cele on Tuesday that the Brits community in the North West are fed up with farm murders and fearing for their lives as crime continues to plague the town.
Hofmeyr and the residents, including farmers, addressed Cele, North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena and management of the Brits policing precinct to raise concerns about farm murders and crime.
Hofmeyr told Cele and the delegation the community is concerned about crime.
Watch: Devon Hofmeyr addresses Bheki Cele
Residents cheered Devon Hofmeyr, the son of Steve Hofmeyr when he told Police Minster Bheki Cele the Brits community in the North West are fed up of farm murders and crime and are fearing for their lives. #Brits #FarmMurders #Crime #NorthWest #BhekiCele #Police @TheCitizen_News pic.twitter.com/YmCrZRTrcN
— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 (@FaizelPatel143) October 11, 2023
Worried about crime
He said “hole hiding” with politicians is over.
“Black and white, we thank you all for being here. I hope everybody understands why you are standing here. We are not standing here for a hand-out.
“Minister Bheki Cele, you are standing in front of a community who’s worried. Where’s the answers we’ve been waiting for? I am not only talking about farms. What’s happening in our communities, every person standing here from Brits is fearing for their lives every single day and they are not getting the answers that they need.”
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Action needed
Hofmeyr urged Cele to sort out the crime in Brits.
“Sir, you are a politician, a minister. You are sent here to serve this community, not scare them or intimidate them. What is going to be put in place to stop farm murders? We want that answers while the community is standing here. You guys should have figured it out by now.
“We need action from you guys and if you don’t wanna act, give us the privilege to do it ourselves,” Hofmeyr said.
Working with police
The delegation were handed a memorandum from the Brits Stock Farmers’ Association community calling on Cele and the South African Police Service (Saps) to shift their policing focus and resources to farm killings.
Cele reminded the community that the safety and security of rural farming communities remains a priority for the Saps.
“Stop employing people who have no documents, people that we can’t trace. South Africans are traceable because we have fingerprints… So work with us, even if you feel that person has a skill that you need,” Cele said.
[AT THIS HOUR] Minister of Police Gen Bheki Cele is accepting a memorundum of demands from the Brits Stock farmers association who marched to the Brits @SAPoliceService station to demand police to stop
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) October 10, 2023
#Farmkillings Responding to the demand, Cele has made a call to farmers 👇🏿 pic.twitter.com/F3mg5qUXIw
Police said the National Rural Safety Strategy (NRSS) at rural police stations continues to address rural safety as an integrated day-to-day policing initiative by ensuring a multi-disciplinary approach between Saps and all stakeholders concerned to improve the safety and security of all persons living and working on farms.
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