It was with shock and dismay that the FF Plus learnt that yet another farmer was murdered in South Africa. Mr Dirk Steenkamp was shot and killed in cold blood on his farm near Vredefort in the Free State.
This is the umpteenth attack on the South African agricultural community and is a direct consequence of the ANC government and the EFF’s reckless and irresponsible statements about land expropriation and their blatant populist lies about white people supposedly having stolen the land. The government has Steenkamp’s blood on their hands.
The FF Plus appealed to the former Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula, to declare farm attacks and murders a priority crime and will now address the same request to the new Minister, Mr Beke Cele.
This is a crime that has enormous social and economic consequences for the entire South African society. It threatens lives, food security and the economic welfare of hundreds of families of affected farmers and farm workers.
The government and inciters like the EFF’s Julius Malema readily make populist statements about expropriation and the so-called theft of the land for their own political gain, while always offering the weak assurance that food security and the economy will not be jeopardised. They need to wake up.
The economy and food security have been under threat of a much more serious cancer than their perception of who owns the land and what creates prosperity, and it is the senseless and unbridled violence aimed at our country’s farmers brought on and aggravated by their careless remarks and inability to protect farmers and their workers.
Farm attacks and murders must be declared a priority crime and the government, the leaders of our country that are responsible for the wellbeing of every single South African citizen, must stop inciting racialism and division for their own political benefit.
The FF Plus is calling on all farmers to be ready to defend themselves and their families and to be vigilant of possible dangers at all times. If the government cannot or will not protect us, we must do it ourselves.
We would like to express our deepest condolences to the Steenkamp family and friends – we keep you in our prayers for strength and comfort.
