“The cruelty which accompanies the farm murders, such as that in Barkley East of the De Villiers couple, does not attest of ordinary criminality. Farm murders are too easily dismissed as part of ordinary criminality. A previous investigation ordered by the Minister of Police, Mr. Nathi Mthethwa, into the cruelty of farm murders, was a failure and a new investigation must be undertaken,” Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the chief spokesperson on Police for the Freedom Front Plus says.
“The report released in 2010 by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation which cost R3,5 million did not address the causes of the cruelty of murders and pointed to general socio-economic and socio-political problems of violent crimes.
Farm murders’ relation to the population is 98 in every 100 000 as opposed to the 31 in every 100 000 of murders in South Africa. It is clear that it is a serious problem and that the farming community is being targeted. The slaughter on South African farms continues and despite numerous calls from the Freedom Front Plus that government should declare farm attacks a priority crime, no finger is being lifted to pay real attention to it. The community cannot be blamed if anger and threats of taking the law into their own hands, arise,” Groenewald said.
Groenewald praised the Police for their quick action to apprehend the criminal so quickly. He however added that sector policing, especially in rural areas, is lacking and is part of the problem of farm attacks and farm murders and he added that the Police should actively focus on this.
Contact no.: 083 627 4397
;
