Farmers have the right to protection
AFTER a recent series of farm attacks in the Modimolle area the DA on Monday afternoon met with farmers, community members, the Modimolle police and agricultural unions at the Koro Creek Golf Estate in Modimolle.
Photo's: DA Limpopo
MODIMOLLE – AFTER a recent series of farm attacks in the Modimolle area the DA on Monday afternoon met with farmers, community members, the Modimolle police and agricultural unions at the Koro Creek Golf Estate in Modimolle.
The DA learned that since January 2015 there had been 22 farm attacks in Limpopo, and seven farm murders.
Phumzile van Damme, DA national spokesperson, Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA shadow minister of police, Annette Steyn, DA shadow minister of agriculture, Jacques Smalle, DA Limpopo provincial leader, Desiree van der Walt, DA constituency head for Modimolle, Langa Bodlani, DA Limpopo provincial chairperson and Kathlego Phaala, member of Limpopo legislature, formed part of the DA delegation that met with a traumatised community regarding these attacks.
According to a media statement by Van Damme, Col Isaac Maila, the station commander at the Modimolle police station, informed them that half of his vehicles were sitting at garages and that he experienced high levels of absenteeism.
Farm murders had increased by 30% in South Africa since 2010.
Experts predicted that the commercial farmer number would decline to 15 000 individuals over the next fifteen years, resulting in unemployment in the agricultural sector, added to which, the local production of food would drop dramatically.
Farm attacks had severe consequences on the country tearing families apart, threatening the country’s food supply and job creation in especially the agricultural sector, reported Van Damme.
The DA had repeatedly called for a new approach to rural safety that would put the protection of all rural communities at the heart of its approach.
To ensure the safety of all farming communities, the DA would:
• Establish a specialised rural safety unit with-in the South African Police Service, (SAPS).
• Deploy specialised rural reaction units to
clearly identify rural crime “hotspots” on a rotating basis.
• Improve rural crime intelligence gathering.
• The creation of a SAPS Rural Intelligence centre that will improve the gathering and analysing of rural crime information and thus better inform crime prevention initiatives.
“The lack of a rural safety plan is clearly having a massive impact on our rural community.
“Farmers, farm workers, staff at commercial farms and emerging farmers play a vital role in South Africa’s livelihood and deserve to be protected,” stated Van Damme during the meeting.
One of the main conclusions of the meeting held by the DA was that the farmers, farm workers and the rural community at large felt isolated and unsafe.
It was therefore up to the government to ensure that they were protected.
“Every South African has the right to feel safe and protected in our country.
“The DA will continue to fight for the safety and protection of rural communities,” stated Van Damme.
