Minister Cele moet die Landelike Veiligheidsberaad se aanbevelings bespoedig ten einde die toenemende plaasaanvalle hok te slaan | Minister Cele must fast-track Rural Safety Summit interventions to combat rising farm attacks
English to follow:
11 Oktober 2022
Agri SA is ernstig bekommerd oor die skerp toename in geweldadige plaasaanvalle die afgelope paar maande. Terwyl geweldsmisdaad oënskynlik oor die algemeen aan die toeneem is, het ons kennis geneem van ‘n kommerwekkende styging in plaasaanvalle wat veroorsaak dat boere en plaaswerkers in vrees leef.
Na afloop van die Landelike Veiligheidsberaad, gehou in Junie 2022, dui hierdie toename op ‘n dringende behoefte om die landelike veiligheidstrategie en die besluite wat tydens die beraad geneem is spoedeisend te implementeer.
‘n Sleutel uitkoms van die Landelike Veiligheidsberaad was die aanstelling van ‘n geïntegreerde taakspan om prioriteite met betrekking tot landelike veiligheid aan te spreek. Hierdie span het sleutel aanbevelings geïdentifiseer wat geprioritiseer moet word om landelike veiligheid te verbeter. Die voorlegging van hierdie aanbevelings vir goedkeuring deur die Kabinet moet binnekort geskied en Agri SA doen ‘n beroep op die Minister van Polisie, Bheki Cele, om die proses te bespoedig ten einde landelike veiligheid dringend aan te spreek.
Geweldsmisdaad was onlangs in die kollig, insluitend die moord op ‘n Duitse toeris in Mpumalanga. Daardie provinsie veral het ‘n disproporsionele toename in geweldadige plaasaanvalle ervaar, insluitend die wrede aanval op ‘n macadamia-boer met ‘n panga op sy eiendom. Die opwaartse tendens in hierdie tipe aanvalle was ook die afgelope paar maande sigbaar en dringende aksie word nou vereis.
“Ons kan nie toelaat dat geweld voortdurend die lewens van lede van die Suid-Afrikaanse boerderygemeenskappe bedreig nie, of dat ‘n algemene klimaat van wetteloosheid landelike werksgeleenthede en plaaslike voedselproduksie ondermyn nie. Dit is jammer dat die Minister van Polisie nagelaat het om landelike veiligheid in sy begrotingsrede vroeër vanjaar aan te spreek. Boerderygemeenskappe dra tans die gevolge hiervan. Die regering moet dringend stappe neem om hierdie skerp toename in geweld aan te spreek want Suid-Afrika se plaaslike voedselproduksie en voedselsekerheid is op die spel,” aldus Uys van der Westhuijzen, voorsitter van Agri SA se Sentrum van Uitnemendheid: Landelike Veiligheid.
“Die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan plaas ‘n premie op landbou-ontwikkeling en werkskepping, wat dus in lyn is met die sektor se verantwoordelikheid om voldoende en bekostigbare voedsel te produseer. Vir hierdie doel, is ‘n veilige en stabiele omgewing noodsaalik vir ons boeregemeenskap.
Suid-Afrika se vermoë om voedsel plaaslik te produseer moet nooit as vanselfsprekend aanvaar word nie. Dit is broos en afhanklik van die daarstelling van veilige en stabiele boerderderygemeenskappe. Hierdie beginsel sal dien as grondslag vir Agri SA se kongres later hierdie week waar die sektor se belanghebbendes, met inbegrip van die regering, byeen sal kom onder die tema ‘Groei Plaaslik’ om die uitdagings wat die nasie se landbousektor in die gesig staar aan te spreek, “ sê Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA se Uitvoerende Direkteur.
Kleinskaalse- en kommersiële boere, asook plaaswerkers, moet erkenning geniet en beskerm word as ‘n noodsaaklike bate vir die land, en die opskerping van hul veiligheid deur die effektiewe implementering van die Nasionale Landelike Veiligheidstrategie moet beskou word as ‘n saak van dringendheid en van nasionale belang.
“Gegewe die welbekende tekortkominge in die polisiëring van boerderygemeenskappe, doen ons ‘n beroep op hierdie gemeenskappe om addisionele veiligheidsmaatreëls te tref. Boerderygemeenskappe moet paraat wees en hul sekuriteit opskerp. Ten spyte van die gebreke in die stelsel, moet alle verdagte persone en aktiwiteite en misdaad by jou naaste polisiestasie aangemeld word. Dit is noodsaaklik om goeie kommunikasie met die plaaslike polisie te handhaaf,” sê Van der Westhuijzen.
Navrae:
Christo van der Rheede
Uitvoerende Direkteur
Kobus Visser
Direkteur: Agri SA Landelike Veiligheid & Provinsiale Sake
Uys van der Westhuijzen
Voorsitter van Agri SA se Sentrum van Uitnemendheid: Landelike Veiligheid
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11 October 2022
Agri SA is deeply concerned about the spike in violent farm attacks in recent months. While violent crime appears to be on the rise across the board, we have noted a particularly concerning increase in farm attacks, leaving farmers and farm workers living in fear.
Coming after the Rural Safety Summit, held in June 2022, this trend points to the urgent need for the implementation of the Rural Safety Strategy and the resolutions adopted at the summit.
A key outcome of the Rural Safety Summit was the formation of an integrated task team to address priorities in rural safety. This team has identified key interventions that must be prioritised to increase rural safety. The tabling of these interventions for adoption by the Cabinet is long overdue, and Agri SA calls on Minister of Police Bheki Cele to fast-track this process in order to address rural safety now.
Violent crime has been in the spotlight recently, including the murder of a German tourist in Mpumalanga. That province in particular has seen a disproportionate increase in violent farm attacks including the brutal attack on a macadamia farmer with a panga on his property. The upward trend in these attacks has been evident for months now, and urgent action is required.
“We cannot allow unchecked violence to continue to threaten the lives of members of South African farming communities, nor can a generalised climate of lawlessness be allowed to jeopardise rural livelihoods and local food production. It is unfortunate that the Minister of Police failed to address rural safety in his budget speech earlier this year. Farming communities now bear the consequences of this lack of emphasis on rural safety. The government needs to take immediate steps to address this surge in violence as South Africa’s local food production and food security hang in the balance,” says Uys van der Westhuijzen chair of Agri SA Centre of Excellence Rural Safety.
“The National Development Plan places a premium on agricultural development and job creation, which in turn ties in with the sector’s responsibility to produce sufficient and affordable food. But South Africa’s capacity to produce food locally should never be taken for granted. It is fragile and dependent on the creation of safe and stable farming communities. This imperative will underpin Agri SA’s Congress later this week where the sector’s stakeholders, including government, will come together under the theme ‘Growing Local’ to tackle the challenges facing the nation’s agricultural sector” said Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA Executive Director.
Small-scale and commercial farmers alongside farm workers must be recognised and protected as a crucial asset for the country, and enhancing their safety through the effective implementation of the National Rural Safety Strategy should be a matter of national interest and urgency.
“Given the known shortcomings of policing in farming communities, we urge farming communities to take additional safety measures. Communities need to be alert and to step up their security. Despite the inefficiencies in the system, report all suspicious-looking people, activities and crimes to your nearest police station. It is essential to maintain good communication with the local police”, said van der Westhuijzen.
Enquiries:
Christo van der Rheede
Executive Director
Kobus Visser
Director: Agri SA Rural Safety & Provincial Affairs
Uys van der Westhuijzen
Chair of Agri SA’s Centre of Excellence: Rural Safety