For farmers, workers and agricultural role players in South Africa, attacks on farming communities are not just another crime but a threat to food security and the local economy.
Rural safety activist Petrus Sitho from the organisation PPS Stop Farm Murders recently walked 129 kilometres from Frankfort to Memel in the Free State to raise awareness about farm attacks, which he said continue to rob the country of job creators and food producers.
“A BackaBuddy campaign was created to raise awareness about farm killings and the devastating impact they have on families, rural communities, and our country as a whole.
“Through this campaign, I share my personal journey and give a voice to those who have been affected by farm violence. The aim is to raise awareness, encourage honest conversation, and highlight the very real dangers faced by people who live and work on farms every day,” he said.
A walk for survival: Activism highlights rural vulnerability
Sitho argued that government was not doing enough to combat crime in rural communities and urged communities to stand together to fight farm murders.
The plea from Sitho comes after the acting national police commissioner lieutenant-general, Puleng Dimpane, released crime statistics for the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year, from April–June 2026.
Related stories
- Cry for rural safety as farm attacks persist amid lack of resources
- Protect your herd: Tips for preventing livestock theft
- Organised crime fuels livestock theft as festive season looms
- Water rights alone won’t fix inequality in SA commercial farming
The stats indicated that during that period, 14 624 sheep were stolen, followed by goats with 11 729, cattle with 10 690, poultry with 3 185, and ostriches with 8 recorded.
Compared to the same period in 2025, the stock theft stats indicated a decrease of 377, from 5 619 in 2025 to 5 242 in 2026. However, Dimpane said this was way too little to start celebrating.
The Eastern Cape recorded the highest stock theft cases in the period with 1 504, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 1 154. The top six police stations with high stock theft cases are from the Eastern Cape, followed by North West and the Free State.
Crime stats reveal scale of stock theft
The minister of agriculture, Willie Aucamp, said farm murders are real and no one should mislead communities into thinking there are none.
“I have discussed the issue of farm murders in cabinet, and I have held talks with the police minister. I must, in the same breath, thank the farmers who have upscaled themselves by putting cameras on their farms and increasing their security to ensure safety on their farms.
“We have to curb this and work together with police, parliament and communities, but importantly, at the provincial level authorities need to come to the party when it comes to farm safety,” he said.
Dimpane acknowledged that crime volumes remain unacceptably high. “We acknowledge the gaps. We acknowledge the urgency. But we also recognise the progress and the capacity within this organisation to do more.
“Our resolve is therefore unequivocal: we will intensify intelligence-led policing, strengthen station accountability, disrupt organised crime, remove illegal firearms and drugs from our communities, improve investigations, strengthen partnerships and deploy our resources where they will have the greatest impact,” she said.
READ NEXT: Aucamp outlines strategy for biosecurity, trade, and infrastructure
