The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) calls on Southern Cape communities to join forces in the fight against general crime as well as illegal immigration, seeing as undocumented persons who cannot be traced and are involved in crime severely hamper the apprehension of suspects.
The party has already engaged with local farm watches in the Swellendam and Goukou area, which expressed a growing concern that undocumented and illegal immigrants may be to blame for the current crime wave sweeping through the area.
It is also suspected that illegal immigrants may have been involved in the recent attack on two elderly Dutch tourists on a guest farm just outside Swellendam.
It was not only an attack on vulnerable elderly persons, but also an onslaught on the region’s reputation as a safe tourism destination.
The residents of Vermaaklikheid, Slangrivier, Melkboomfontein, Riversdal and Heidelberg have confirmed that the local safety and security structures have to shoulder an ever-increasing responsibility.
After completing seasonal work, foreign workers often find themselves without a job or income, resulting in rising tensions and a higher risk for crime and conflict.
The Freedom Front Plus and local safety and security structures, therefore, call on communities to stand together and become actively involved in protecting their towns and farms.
The Southern Cape is known for being a safe, quiet area, and it is critically important that residents work together to stop negative trends from taking root.
Local collaboration, vigilance and pressuring authorities to fulfill their responsibilities are crucial for ensuring stability in the region and protecting its reputation.
