Sinnelose moorde op boere en polisielede | Senseless murders of farmers and police officers

English to follow:

1 Maart 2021

Kort nadat Bheki Cele, minister van polisie, die misdaadstatistieke vir die derde kwartaal van die 2020/’21- finansiële jaar bekend gemaak het, is nog polisiebeamptes vermoor.

“Agri SA veroordeel alle moorde op mede-Suid-Afrikaners ten sterkste, maar veral dié op boere en polisielede wat moet verseker dat landsburgers genoeg kos het om te eet en in veiligheid leef,” sê Uys van der Westhuijzen, voorsitter van die organisasie se sentrum van uitnemendheid vir landelike veiligheid.

Die statistieke dui onder meer op ’n toename in plaasmoorde in die derde kwartaal van 6 moorde in 2019/’20 tot 19 in 2020/’21, wat ’n toename toon van 13 moorde. Gedurende die derde kwartaal van die jongste statistieke is vyf polisiebeamptes vermoor.

“Beide boere en polisielede is van strategiese belang vir die land, omdat boere verantwoordelik is vir voedselsekerheid en die polisie vir die handhawing van wet en orde,” maan Van der Westhuijzen. “Daarom is moorde op boere en polisielede onaanvaarbaar en maak dit ’n inbreuk op die lewenskwaliteit van lede van die sektore.”

Agri SA besef watter traumatiese uitwerking ’n moord op families en op gemeenskappe het en betuig graag sy medelye met hul naasbestaandes.

Twee polisielede is pas in die Wes-Kaap vermoor en, volgens berigte, het die moorde gebeur terwyl hulle aan diens was. Die beamptes is in ’n hinderlaag gelei en doodgeskiet, waarna hulle beroof is van hul amptelike vuurwapens. Hierdie moorde vroeg Saterdagoggend volg dae ná vier polisiebeamptes in KwaZulu-Natal vermoor is. Dit bring die totale aantal polisielede wat in tien dae vermoor is, op ses te staan.

“Suid-Afrika kan nie bekostig dat sy boere en polisielede op wreedaardige wyse vermoor word nie,” maan Van der Westhuijzen. “Boere en polisielede is van strategiese belang vir die land en die handhawing van nasionale stabiliteit. Ons wil graag ’n beroep doen op gemeenskappe om misdaadverwante inligting met die polisie te deel om sodoende die polisie in staat te stel om voorkomend te kan optree.”

Navrae

Uys van der Westhuijzen

Voorsitter van Agri SA se Sentrum van Uitnemendheid: Landelike Veiligheid

Kobus Visser

Direkteur: Agri SA Landelike Veiligheid en Provinsiale Sake

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1 March 2021

Shortly after Bheki Cele, minister of police, announced the crime statistics for the third quarter of the 2020/21 financial year, more police officers were murdered.

“Agri SA strongly condemns all murders of South Africans but especially the murder of farmers and police officers who must ensure that citizens have enough food to eat and can live in safety,” says Uys van der Westhuijzen, chairman of the organisation’s centre of excellence for rural safety.

The statistics indicate, among others, an increase in farm murders in the third quarter from 6 in 2019/’20 to 19 in 2020/’21, which represents an increase of 13. According to the latest statistics, five police officers were murdered in the third quarter.

“Both farmers and police officers are of strategic importance for the country, where farmers are responsible for food security and the police for maintaining law and order, urges Van der Westhuijzen. “For this reason, the murders of farmers and police officers are unacceptable and infringe upon the quality of life of members of these sectors.”

Agri SA is aware of the impact that murder has on families and communities and wishes to extend its condolences to the next of kin.

Two police officers were recently murdered in the Western Cape and according to reports, the murders occurred while they were on duty. The officers were ambushed and shot, after which their official firearms were stolen. These murders, which took place early on Saturday morning, followed after four police officers were murdered in KwaZulu-Natal. This brings the total number of police officers murdered to six in only ten days.

“South Africa cannot tolerate these brutal murders of its farmers and police officers,” says Van der Westhuijzen. “Farmers and police officers are of strategic importance for the country and for maintaining national stability. We call on communities to share crime-related information with the police to enable them to take preventative action.

Enquiries

Uys van der Westhuijzen

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

Kobus Visser

Director: Agri SA Rural Safety and Provincial Affairs