Empty food shelves at Farmers Market touch the hearts of visitors – AfriForum

Visitors at the Farmers Market in Pretoria on Saturday were touched by a portrayal of an empty food stand as part of an awareness campaign for the upcoming movie about farm murders in the country, Treurgrond, which starts in May 2015.

Bea Pretorius, Head of Marketing at AfriForum, said that it was obvious from the reaction of bystanders that farm murders and related problems such as food security are issues that South Africans truly care about.

According to Pretorius the campaign focusses on the marketing of the Treurgrond film, but also aims to create awareness about farm murders and that the elimination of farmers, who productively provide food, will ultimately lead to starvation.

The photograph of the empty food stand spread like wildfire on social media. It was viewed more than half a million times in only a few days.

André Frauenstein, producer of the film, said the movie is a new way of portraying the tragedy of farm murders and the impact thereof on families and the community.

“We hope that it will be an eye opener of what is going on in the country and put a stop to these murders.”

AfriForum and TAU SA contributed to the making of the film. The two organisations also released shocking statistics regarding farm attacks and farm murders in January last month.

According to the statistics there were 277 farm attacks in 2014 and 67 farm murders. Since the beginning of 2015 there has already been nine murders.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, said if this is any indication of murders and attacks on famers, it paints a very dark picture for the rest of the year.

Kriel also said the film strengthens the AfriForum campaigns regarding farm murders and that it will create public awareness so that farm murders can eventually be declared as a priority crime.

Various famous actors such as Steve Hofmeyr, Erica Wessels, Jana Strydom, Shaleen Surtie-Richards, André Frauenstein, Barbara-Marie Immelman, Boikie Pholo, Richard Lukunku, Graeme Kriega, Deon Coetzee and Richard van der Westhuizen will be seen in Treurgrond.