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"Violent crime, such as farm attacks,
has an extremely negative effect on the
profitable production of agricultural
products, and in the long term, on food
security in South Africa," says Mr
Kiewiet Ferreira, chairman of Agri SA's
Law and Order Committee. "If the total
extent of crime to which farmers are
exposed could be calculated, it would be
an enormous sum, which the sector cannot
continue to absorb," was his reaction in
a statement following a recent spate of
violent attacks on farmers in the Free
State and KwaZulu-Natal. He added that
the economy of rural towns, that depend
on agriculture for their survival, is
under threat.
Tension is mounting in the Free State
after a farmer from Hobhouse was
murdered and his wife seriously injured
in a farm attack, followed three days
later by another attempted attack in the
area.
Farmers along the Caledon River said
in recent media reports that the
situation is out of control.
"It is no longer acceptable to Agri
SA that the sector should remain exposed
to this type of attacks and the increase
in criminality, while primary
agriculture continues under these
unfavourable circumstances ," said
Ferreira.
Rural towns are suffering because of
this. "Approximately 40% of the
country's population and more than half
in the provinces also rely primarily on
agriculture. Crime at farm level
therefore affects not only farming
operations, but also the local economy,"
he said.
Ferreira was reacting to media
reports on farm attacks that occurred
last week in the Free State and
KwaZulu-Natal. These attacks follow
various others that occurred recently in
the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces,
where various people and their family
members were killed or seriously
injured.
"Crime in various forms is assuming
alarming proportions, with a detrimental
effect on the economy and stability in
rural areas."
Agri SA met with the police and
defence force to consider how rural
areas could be made safer by
implementing sector policing. All Agri
SA's provincial affiliates supported the
implementation of sector policing and
decided to encourage their members to
participate actively in this. In the
process, the agricultural community can,
within a legal dispensation, become
involved in its own protection in its
own area.
"Agri SA's Agri Securitas Trust Fund
strives to make supplementary financial
resources available to the agricultural
community to help curb farm attacks and
other crime in a proactive manner.
Various farm-protection projects created
by farming communities have already been
financially supported by the Trust Fund
in an effort to assist communities in
safeguarding themselves against farm
attacks and other crime aimed at the
farming community," said Ferreira.
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