AfriForum announces intensified action plan against farm murders
AfriForum has announced its escalated campaign against farm murders in Centurion today. This follows after the wave of farm attacks which swept the country since the beginning of the year. Since the beginning of 2014, 24 incidents on farms and smallholdings were reported to AfriForum, and three farmers were murdered.
The action plan includes an intensified awareness and protest campaign to put pressure on the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, to prioritize farm murders, as well as an extensive local self-protection strategy.
The civil rights organisation also announced today that it will assemble a task team to undertake a comprehensive study on farm murders. Several case studies will be conducted across the country to support the study. Interviews will be held with victims, next of kin, farm workers and convicted farm killers to answer questions about the phenomenon.
The local self-protection strategy will include the following projects across South Africa:
- Patrols/Visible policing
- Radio networks
- Incident control systems
- Permanently manned control rooms
- Private first-aid and services
AfriForum also announced that the organisation is already working on a project which will offer support to the victims of farm murders.
Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO, said that AfriForum aims to force Government to take a stand of farm murders.
“There are no rational grounds for Government’s refusal to prioritize farm murders, other than a complete disregard for the safety of farmers.”
Ian Cameron, Head of Community Safety at AfriForum, added that the organisation is aware that continued pressure on Government cannot be the only solution.
“If the police will not take the necessary steps to safeguard communities, we have to take them ourselves. We will assist communities to see to their own safety.”
AfriForum has also created a platform on its website where members of the public can report farm attacks, in order to bring these to the attention of AfriForum and the Department of Police.