The recent wave of farm attacks that have plagued the country in the past eight days can most likely be attributed to inflammatory remarks from organisations such as Cosatu, which believe that farmers are rapists and murderers, fueling animosity towards farmers.
According to TLU SA’s statistics on farm attacks and murders – tracked since 1990 – there was a slight decrease in these crimes in May of this year compared to the same period in 2022. This was also reflected in the crime figures released a week ago. However, the past week’s attacks indicate that there must have been a catalyst somewhere.
“We once again appeal to the Human Rights Commission to consider ‘offensive’ statements against farmers in a more serious light,” says Bennie van Zyl, the CEO of TLU SA.
“Farmers cannot rely on the police or the government to protect us. Getting a quick response from security companies in rural environments is also not as easy as in cities. Therefore, we are reliant on ourselves to secure our communities and change the narrative about farmers – that they assault workers, have lots of money, and stole the land.”
TLU SA is continuously involved in rural security projects and readily provides input and advice on improving the system …
