Landelike veiligheid: Bestuur van emosies nou krities belangrik | Rural safety: Managing emotions is now critical

English to follow:

9 Oktober 2020

Boere, plaaswerkers en landelike gemeenskappe word toenemend die teiken van misdadigers. Brutale aanvalle lei tot moorde en misdaad wat nie net produsente nie, maar ook huishoudings en die breër gemeenskap raak. Dit bedreig landelike stabiliteit, beperk beleggings en het ‘n direkte negatiewe impak op ekonomiese groei. Landelike misdaad het verder ‘n impak op die landbou en landelike gemeenskappe wat trauma en die verlies van onskuldige lewens tot gevolg het.

“Hierdie misdade is besig om ‘n skokkende werklikheid te word en lei tot die opbou van emosies. Ons leiers vind dit toenemend moeilik om hierdie emosies te kalmeer en dit kan aanleiding gee tot wettelose optredes wat Agri SA nie kan verdedig nie. Ek wil graag ons lede maan om enige optrede binne die landswette te hanteer en nie op ‘n wettelose manier op te tree nie.” sê Pierre Vercueil, President, Agri SA.

Agri SA verneem ook van sy lede dat verskeie onwaarhede oor die Senekal gebeure in die sosiale media versprei word. “Ek doen ‘n oproep op die lede van die publiek om hulle te weerhou van die plasing van sulke boodskappe wat verder lei tot die aanwakker tot emosies en nie bydrae tot die regsproses wat hom tans uitspeel nie” sê Vercueil.

Die blatante miskenning van wet en orde, die toepassing van dubbele standaarde en opruiende politieke uitsprake het ‘n nadelige uitwerking op die wese van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing en op landelike veiligheid. Dit bedreig verder die strategiese belang van landbou en ondermyn vertroue in die sektor.

Agri SA en sy lede-organisasies is ten volle verbind tot die implementering van die Hersiene Nasionale Landelike Beveiliging Strategie. Die meer effektiewe implementering van hierdie strategie moet bydrae tot die bekamping van plaasaanvalle om sodoende ‘n veiliger omgewing vir die landbou te skep om in te produseer.

“In ons gesprekke met die polisie vroeër die week is veral klem gelê op die implementering van die strategie, ‘n verbeterde resivistestelsel en die vestiging van veiligheidsbeheersentra deur die land in ‘n poging om ook daardeur plaasveiligheid te verbeter,” sê Tommie Esterhuyse, voorsitter Agri SA Sentrum van Uitnemendheid, Landelike veiligheid. As ‘n organisasie is ons verbind tot samewerking met die polisie en die regering om plaasaanvalle, moord en landelike misdaad te bekamp.

Aangesien dit ons grondwetlike reg is om beskerm te word, doen ons ‘n beroep op die polisie en die regering om met absolute oortuiging te reageer en nie afstand te doen van die handhawing van wet en orde nie.

Navrae:

Pierre Vercueil

Agri SA President

Tommie Esterhuyse

Voorsitter Agri SA Sentrum van Uitnemendheid, Landelike veiligheid

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9 October 2020

Farmers, farm workers and rural communities are increasingly the victims of criminals. Brutal attacks lead to murder, and crime affects not only producers but also households and the broader community. It threatens rural stability, discourages investment, and has a direct negative effect on economic growth. Rural crime also has an impact on agricultural and rural communities, resulting in trauma and loss of innocent lives.

“These crimes are becoming a shocking reality and give rise to strong emotional responses. Our leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to calm these emotions, resulting in lawlessness which Agri SA cannot defend. I wish to warn our members to deal with all protests within the laws of our country and to refrain from acting in a lawless manner,” said Agri SA President, Pierre Vercueil.

Agri SA has also learned that various inaccurate accounts of what happened in Senekal were shared on social media. “I call on members of the public to refrain from posting such messages which could lead to further emotional responses and do not contribute to the legal process currently underway,” said Vercueil.

The blatant lawlessness, application of double standards and inflammatory political statements impact negatively on the very heart of South African society. It also threatens the strategic interests of agriculture and undermines confidence in the sector.

Agri SA and its member organisations are fully committed to the implementation of the Revised National Rural Safety Strategy. More effective implementation of this strategy should contribute towards curbing farm attacks and, so doing, create a safer environment within which agriculture can produce.

“In our discussions with the police earlier this week, special emphasis was placed on the implementation of the strategy, an improved reservist system and the creation of security control centres throughout the country in an attempt to improve farm safety,” said Tommie Esterhuyse, chair of Agri SA’s Centre of Excellence: Rural Safety. As an organisation, we are committed to cooperation with the police and government to curb farm attacks, murder and rural crime.”

While it is our constitutional right to be protected, we call on the police and the government to respond with absolute conviction and not to waive its responsibility to maintain law and order.

Enquiries:

Pierre Vercueil

Agri SA President

Tommie Esterhuyse

Chair of Agri SA’s Centre of Excellence: Rural Safety