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President Cyril Ramaphosa has mobilized to address the increasingly politicized problem of farm killings in South Africa, following the brutal torture and murder of a young farm manager in the Free State, Brendin Horner, on October 1, 2020.
Since then, two suspects have been arrested for his murder and appeared in court last week.
The civil rights group AfriForum has called the attacks and killings on farms a form of terror, while the Democratic Alliance noted last month that there have been 21 murders and 147 attacks on farms over a four-month period between June and September, alone. “Our farmers are three times more likely to be killed than a police officer.”
The government and other analysts argue that the attacks on farms are part of a larger crime problem in the country and are not racially motivated. Police Minister Bheki Cele said in a recent interview that the motive for attacks on farms is often mistreatment of farm employees.
However, Ernst Roets, deputy executive director of the civil rights group AfriForum, noted on social media that the minister’s comments are far from reality.
The minister does not read, it seems. The Government’s own Commission of Inquiry into Attacks on Farms concluded that only 1.6% of attacks on farms are motivated by labor issues. But the ANC would never allow events to get in the way of its culprits and scapegoats. https://t.co/PNLgjLLbc6
– Ernst Roets (@ErnstRoets) October 9, 2020
“Not all farm killings are racially motivated, but race is not irrelevant either. It is incorrect to claim that farm killings are by definition racially motivated. However, it is just as wrong to try to present farm killings simply as “common crimes” or to claim that race is truly irrelevant, “Roets said.
In his weekly bulletin sent to the nation on Monday (October 12), President Ramaphosa strongly refuted any claims that the attacks on farms are racially motivated. He condemned Horner’s murder and described it as a terrible act of cruelty. “His murder should enrage and annoy us all,” he said.
“No matter who we are, no matter what community we live in, no matter our race, creed or language, we should be just as deeply affected by the death of Brendin Horner as we are by the many other South Africans who each die violently. year.”
“As we mourn the loss of his life, we also mourn the deaths of Mogamad Cloete, Tawqeer Essop and André Bennett, three young men who were shot in a car in Delft in the Western Cape in the same week.”
The president said the crimes are a stark reminder of the levels of violence in South Africa.
“Although crime affects everyone, the majority of victims of violent crime are black and poor; and it is young black men and women who are at a disproportionately greater risk of being killed, ”he said.
“We have an enormous task to end murder, assault, robbery, rape and violence against women and children wherever it occurs and to whom it affects. It requires all peace-loving South Africans to come together not only to condemn these criminal acts, but also to work together to end them.
“It requires that we adhere to the principles contained in our Constitution, that we uphold the rule of law and that we strengthen our justice system to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.”
The president also spoke out against the violent protest that took place at the Senekal courthouse following the arrest of suspects in the murder of Brendin Horn. A police vehicle was overturned and set on fire by a group of angry farmers.
“The brutal murder of a young white farmer, allegedly by black men, followed by the spectacle of white farmers storming a police station to reach a black suspect has opened wounds that date back many generations.”
Evidence-based approach
“People who think that farm attacks affect only a small part of our population are wrong. The farming community is an integral part of our economy. The farming community produces the food we eat. Violent crime on farms represents not only a threat to the safety of our rural communities, but also to the food security of our nation, ”Ramaphosa said.
He said that the claim that violent crime on farms is part of a campaign orchestrated by blacks to drive white farmers off their land is simply not borne out by the facts.
Numerous studies show that crime in farming communities is largely opportunistic. Rural communities are more vulnerable due to their isolated location and, as a result, the relative lack of access to security and other services.
“Contrary to the irresponsible claims of some pressure groups, the killings on the farms are not ethnic cleansing. They are not genocidal. They are acts of criminality and should be treated as such, “said the president.
‘Tinder of racial hatred’
Ramaphosa called for greater coordination and better communication between the South African Police Service, businesses, agricultural organizations and communities.
“There needs to be more collaboration between agricultural watchdog organizations and community watchdog forums. Farm communities, including farm workers, must be actively involved in these forums, because they are the eyes and ears on the ground. Traditional leaders must be empowered to play a greater role in security in farming communities. “
The president said that farmers must facilitate access to their land to law enforcement officials. Private security companies operating in agricultural communities must work more closely with the SAPS, while ensuring that arrests of suspects are made within the limits of our Constitution.
“We must continue to explore additional measures, such as integrated communications technologies, to increase rural security,” he said.
He also called for more investment in rural development and pledged to address the inequality that persists in farming communities. “We need a coordinated effort to improve the quality of life for all people living in rural areas if we want to eliminate poverty, which is a major contributor to crime,” Ramaphosa said.
“It would be naive to assume that race relations in farming communities have been harmonious since the advent of democracy. Unless this is addressed openly and honestly, unless we are willing to engage in dialogue, it will remain a festering wound that threatens social cohesion, ”said the president.
He said what happened in Senekal shows how easily the tinderbox of racial hatred can be ignited. “As a nation, we must resist any attempt to use crime on farms to mobilize racially motivated communities.
“One murder is one more murder. We stand in solidarity with all victims of crime, regardless of whether they live in cities or on farms, whether they are farmers or agricultural workers, ”Ramaphosa said.
“We must not allow ourselves to be blinded by our own prejudices to the suffering and pain of others. It shouldn’t matter to us whether the victim of a violent crime is white or black. “
Read: Government Updated South Africa’s Land Expropriation Bill – Here’s What You Need To Know
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