Letters from hundreds of victims of farm attacks presented to Minister of Police
The stories of about a hundred South Africans whose lives were destroyed by farm attacks, were presented to Nathi Mthethwa, Minister of Police today. The victims demanded that the Minister break his silence on this issue by declaring farm attacks a priority crime. The batch letters was handed over jointly by AfriForum and Belinda van Noord, whose father and brother were murdered on their farm in the Brits district during the past holiday. Included in the batch are 80 printed letters, as well as a DVD on which about 20 victims of farm attacks deliver messages to the Minister. Amongst the victims appearing on the DVD, is Susan Nortje, sister of Wilna and aunt of little Willemien Potgieter.
“Many of these people not only have to deal with the death of loved ones, but will also struggle for the rest of their lives with the senseless brutality of the murders,” said Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum. “The total lack of support from die Minister of Police makes finding closure that much more difficult.”
The video was compiled during the protest march against farm attacks, organised by AfriForum on 1 December 2012 (to commemorate the murders of Attie, Wilna and little Willemien Potgieter on 1 December 2010 on their farm near Lindley). The Minister had refused to accept the memorandum from the victims. In spite of an urgent explanatory court order that the march complied with all the legal requirements, the Minister insisted on regarding the march as an illegal gathering. The memorandum will be included in the batch.
Roets said that the Minister’s silence bordered on collusion. “He has to intervene, not only because farmers are being murdered in great numbers, but also because farmers, who live in unique circumstances in remote areas with slow police reaction times, have to play a crucial role to provide food and employment in this country.”