Agri SA verwelkom President Ramaphosa se standpunt oor landelike misdaad | Agri SA welcomes President Ramaphosa’s statement on rural crime

English to follow:

12 Oktober 2020

“Agri SA verwelkom President Ramaphosa se betuiging van medelye en leedwese teenoor die familie van wyle Brendin Horner en alle ander slagoffers van misdaad. Ons verwelkom ook die President se erkenning dat misdaad besig is om ons land uitmekaar te skeur en dat dit ‘n ernstige grondwetlike bedreiging inhou,” sê Pierre Vercueil, president van Agri SA.

Suid-Afrika is in ‘n bose kringloop van misdaad vasgevang. Dit raak alle mense van ons land uiters negatief. Die vlakke van geweld en brutaliteit waarmee landelike misdaad gepaardgaan is onaanvaarbaar en alles moet in die stryd gewerp word om misdaad te bekamp.

“Die handhawing van wet en orde in die land moet geprioritiseer word en daarom word die praktiese stappe wat deur die President in sy nuusbrief vanoggend voorgestel is, verwelkom. Ons stem saam dat die sukses van die hersiene Landelike Beveiligingstrategie op groter koördinasie en beter kommunikasie tussen die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD), landbou-organisasies en gemeenskappe, berus” sê Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA uitvoerende direkteur.

Tydens die onlangse vergadering tussen georganiseerde landbou en die Nasionale Kommissaris van die SAPD, Generaal Sitole, is ‘n hand van samewerking uitgereik. Die onderneming is gegee dat die SAPD misdade in landelike gebiede proaktief en reaktief sal prioritiseer. Sukses kan slegs behaal word waar boere, hulle werknemers en die polisie saamwerk om misdaad te bekamp en om kriminele aan die pen te laat ry. Tydens die gesprek is veral gefokus op die beter implimentering van verskeie elemente van die strategie. Agri SA het opnuut sy steun daaraan toegesê.

Agri SA bepleit oor jare heen nouer samewerking tussen plaaslike landelike veiligheidstrukture en die plaaslike polisie asook nouer interaksie tussen die SAPD en private sekuriteitsmaatskappye wat in boerderygemeenskappe werk. Daarom het Agri SA reeds ‘n samewerkingsooreenkoms met Fidelity ADT aangegaan om plaaslike beveiligingsinisiatiewe te help versterk.

Landbou speel egter ‘n enorme rol om op ‘n volgehoue basis in landelike ontwikkeling te belê. Agri SA steek weer sy hand uit om op ‘n gekoördineerde en pragmatiese wyse beleggings te weeg te bring, ekonomiese groei te bewerkstellig, opkomende boere by te staan en landelike ekonomieë aan die gang te kry ten einde die lewensgehalte van alle mense in die platteland te verbeter en welvaartskepping op ‘n inklusiewe basis te weeg te bring.

Navrae:

Pierre Vercueil

Agri SA President

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA Uitvoerende Direkteur

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“Agri SA welcomes the condolences expressed by President Ramaphosa to the family of the late Brendin Horner and all other victims of crime. We also welcome the President’s acknowledgement that crime is tearing our country apart and poses a serious constitutional threat”, says Pierre Vercueil, Agri SA’s president.

South Africa is caught up in a vicious cycle of crime, which has an extremely negative impact on all people in the country. The levels of violence and brutality accompanying rural crime are unacceptable. Everything possible should now be done to combat crime.

The maintenance of law and order must now be prioritised; therefore, we welcome the practical steps proposed by the President in his newsletter this morning. We agree that the success of the revised Rural Protection Strategy depends on greater coordination and better communication between the South African Police Service (SAPS), agricultural organisations and communities, says Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA’s executive director.

The recent meeting between organized agriculture and the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Sitole, extending a hand of co-operation, in that the undertaking was given that the SAPS will prioritise crimes in rural areas proactively and reactively. Success can only be achieved where farmers, their employees and the police work together to fight crime and to bring criminals to justice. During the discussion, particular focus was placed on the better implementation of various elements of the strategy and Agri SA reaffirmed its support for it.

Agri SA has for many years pleaded for stronger cooperation between local rural safety structures, local police as well as closer interaction between SAPS and private security companies working in farming communities and the SAPD. That is why Agri SA has already entered into a co-operation agreement with Fidelity ADT to help strengthen local security initiatives.

Agriculture plays a significant role in terms of sustainable investment in rural development. Agri SA is once again reaching out to encourage coordinated and pragmatic investment; to facilitate economic growth and assist emerging farmers; and to get rural economies on track in order to improve the quality of life of all people in rural areas and bring about prosperity on an inclusive basis.

Enquiries:

Pierre Vercueil

Agri SA President

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA Executive Director