The Democratic Alliance is appealing to police and farming communities to be on the look-out for 'agitators' being bussed into towns for the purpose of criminal activity.
"A pattern is emerging in many Western Cape towns that suggests agitators are exploiting the legitimate concerns of farmworkers to add a criminal element to the protests," the party said in a statement.
It said the police station commander in Prince Alfred Hamlet has confirmed that a high volume of reports were received of busses carrying outside elements into the area at the height of the protests on Wednesday.
The busses are alleged to have entered the town in the early hours of Wednesday, apparently via the Droehoek pass, which is accessible from Touws Rivier and Worcester.
Police in the area also received reports of bakkies from as far as Grabouw and Stellenbosch driving from farm to farm and attempting to enter the properties illegally. One of the vehicles fled the scene of an altercation between police and agitators where a non-fatal shooting took place.
In a similar report, the DA said, William Kamfer, an ANC organizer, was removed by police from a farm in the Ceres area on the same day. "Mr Kamfer had illegally entered the property in an attempt to intimidate workers and farm management".
"Eye-witnesses confirmed a number of threatening remarks made, including that 'the ANC will ensure that no fruit is exported from this area this year'."
In Worcester, police stopped a number of busses at a petrol station just outside of the town on Wednesday. The busses were carrying people from outside the area to swell the protests.
Similar reports were received in Paarl.
The DA further asserted that in the Theewaterskloof area, a pamphlet being distributed "suggests that the ANC is paying a select number of agitators to perform specific tasks of an unconfirmed nature".
The pamphlet thanks those who took part in the protest and informs them that they may take their ID books along to collect R150 from a list of five people.
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to escalate the chaos in certain areas, backed by ANC resources.
"The latest information that the DA has received is that a similar pattern of agitation could potentially spread up the West Coast today as far as Clanwilliam.
"The DA is appealing to police and farming communities to effectively document the activities of criminal elements entering towns for the purpose of intimidation and destruction of property."
Information can be reported to (021) 481-4300.
The party also urged people to document anything they see, saying: "Photos of busses and bakkies carrying outside agitators and the documenting of registration numbers is very important for establishing a pattern that could lead to the arrest of people looking to create an atmosphere of chaos to support their narrow political interests".
DA says 'outside elements' fuelling farm protests
The Democratic Alliance is appealing to police and farming communities to be on the look-out for 'agitators' being bussed into towns for the purpose of criminal activity.
"A pattern is emerging in many Western Cape towns that suggests agitators are exploiting the legitimate concerns of farmworkers to add a criminal element to the protests," the party said in a statement.
It said the police station commander in Prince Alfred Hamlet has confirmed that a high volume of reports were received of busses carrying outside elements into the area at the height of the protests on Wednesday.
The busses are alleged to have entered the town in the early hours of Wednesday, apparently via the Droehoek pass, which is accessible from Touws Rivier and Worcester.
Police in the area also received reports of bakkies from as far as Grabouw and Stellenbosch driving from farm to farm and attempting to enter the properties illegally. One of the vehicles fled the scene of an altercation between police and agitators where a non-fatal shooting took place.
In a similar report, the DA said, William Kamfer, an ANC organizer, was removed by police from a farm in the Ceres area on the same day. "Mr Kamfer had illegally entered the property in an attempt to intimidate workers and farm management".
"Eye-witnesses confirmed a number of threatening remarks made, including that 'the ANC will ensure that no fruit is exported from this area this year'."
In Worcester, police stopped a number of busses at a petrol station just outside of the town on Wednesday. The busses were carrying people from outside the area to swell the protests.
Similar reports were received in Paarl.
The DA further asserted that in the Theewaterskloof area, a pamphlet being distributed "suggests that the ANC is paying a select number of agitators to perform specific tasks of an unconfirmed nature".
The pamphlet thanks those who took part in the protest and informs them that they may take their ID books along to collect R150 from a list of five people.
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to escalate the chaos in certain areas, backed by ANC resources.
"The latest information that the DA has received is that a similar pattern of agitation could potentially spread up the West Coast today as far as Clanwilliam.
"The DA is appealing to police and farming communities to effectively document the activities of criminal elements entering towns for the purpose of intimidation and destruction of property."
Information can be reported to (021) 481-4300.
The party also urged people to document anything they see, saying: "Photos of busses and bakkies carrying outside agitators and the documenting of registration numbers is very important for establishing a pattern that could lead to the arrest of people looking to create an atmosphere of chaos to support their narrow political interests".