AfriForum sends 10 000 e-mails about farm murders to Police Minister
AfriForum has submitted more than 10 000 e-mails received from members of the public via its website www.hoelanknog.co.za to the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, requesting that farm murders be prioritized. These e-mails will form part of the petition AfriForum will submit to the United Nations Forum for Minority Issues in November.
During the past two years victims whose loved ones were murdered in farm attacks, tried on more than ten occasions to request the intervention of the Minister of Police in farm attacks.
Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, said that the website was created to offer members of the public the opportunity to voice their opinion and force the Minister to take action.
“Mthethwa must realize that we will not back down. The longer he ignores the farm murder crisis, the more aggressively we will drive our campaign. The submission to the United Nations is but the beginning.”
Roets added that there are multiple reasons for prioritizing farm murders. “The most important one is that farm murders are unique crimes requiring a unique counter-strategy. Farmers live in isolated areas and the police’s Rural Safety Plan has had no impact on the farm murder crisis as yet. In addition the incidence of farm murders is exceptionally high and these murders are often inhumanly brutal.
- Mthethwa has not acknowledged receipt of the e-mails as yet.
- The public is encouraged to support the petition at www.hoelanknog.co.za.