A lack of resources has been cited as a key contributor to the implementation of the rural safety strategy and combating farm attacks in the country. Farmers and community leaders have been left frustrated and have to fend for themselves in fighting crime.
Close to two years ago, the South African Police Service held a rural safety summit to review the rural safety strategy, which according to many, has not been fully implemented.
At the summit, the South African Police Services presented that 24 police stations had not implemented the rural safety strategy, while 63 had partially implemented it, and 808 had fully implemented it.
Better policing needed
Grain and maize farmer Phaladi Matsole said the document was almost ten years old, and it was sad that even after being revised various times, implementation, the channelling of resources, and implementation were still a discussion.
“When you visit police stations or are in need of police, they will indicate that there are no vans to come through. There are many cars belonging to the police that are not working, hampering the effectiveness of responding to calls by members of the community, especially in the farming community,” he said.
Petrus Sitho from the organisation PPS Stop Farm Murders said he has been crisscrossing the country, calling on the government to weigh in on the farm attacks that continue to happen unabated.
“We have met with ministers of police and justice and correctional services, we have taken them to court hearings where suspects of farm attacks have appeared, and we have taken them to victims’ homes to see firsthand what those farmers have experienced. We are hopeful that their response will be effective and one that brings solutions,” Sitho said.
Related stories
- SA’s rural safety strategy remains in question
- Worrying trend: Farm attacks on the rise as calls to act grow
- Rural safety: ‘Shoot to kill while govt. drags feet’
He said since the last gathering in Parys, they have not had any update on the implementation of the strategy in police stations or if there has been any improvement.
“It is disappointing to say that this initiative was undermined by political unwillingness and that no progress has been made since the first summit in 2019 to enroll the rural safety act and the revised summit in Parys 2022.
“Farm murders and farm attacks still continue. People get brutally tortured, raped, killed, farmland gets set alight deliberately, stock theft continues, and police involvement is not excluded in these cruel acts of violence that are sweeping our agricultural farmland to destroy the industry,” he said.
Empower police in rural communities
Sitho said the lack of discipline within the police and lack of expertise to investigate rural crime undermine the agriculture industry’s growth and sustainability regarding rural safety.
Community involvement, according to Sitho, is also lacking in the country. “Farm attacks do not only happen in white-related farms, it happens everywhere to anyone. Recently, we had to go visit former Free State premier Sisi Ntombela and her husband who is a member of parliament, who were attacked (Food For Mzansi has seen the video of the visit) in their farm near Heilbron and Fredefort in the Free State.
“In my opinion, accountable leadership which is competent and not being influenced by political ideology but committed to combating crime, is what is needed to improve the police service when it comes to rural safety,” he said.
In the last crime statistics released by the police for the third quarter of 2023, 22 farm-related murder cases were reported to the police.
Saamtrek Saamwerk coordinator Sehularo Sehularo said police stations must be given the authority to engage with stakeholders and make decisions.
“I believe the problem is that police stations themselves cannot make decisions; they need to be given the go-ahead elsewhere, which in some cases is very far from the area or the person who must give that authority does not stay in that area.
“Resources are needed to empower police officials to tackle crime in rural farming communities; partnerships can be made, memorandums of understanding can be signed, but if there are no resources for such to be implemented, it becomes fruitless,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the South African Police Service on the status of rural safety strategy were unsuccessful.
ALSO READ: Bird flu: Long road before poultry industry can be normal again
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.
