"Owen Charles has served his Jansenville community in myriad ways as a liberal activist over the last two decades," , Athol Trollip, MP and DA Shadow Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, said in a statement.

"His wife Jenny is in hospital in critical condition with multiple stab wounds.

"This senseless loss of life is a tragedy not only in itself, but also for the knock-on effects that such a murder has on rural communities across the country.

"It is not a once-off murder, but the latest in a persistently escalating string of farm attacks."

The attackers took their vehicle, as well as other possessions.

Trollip said the failure of government to prevent farm murders is one of collective governance.

"There is clearly a lack of political will to protect farmers and farm-workers, even though farm-workers are the ones whose families are most in jeopardy as a result of these attacks. This lack of political will translates into a lack of any robust plan for rural safety.

"Meanwhile, ministers have spent a collective R530.6 million of taxpayers’ money on VIP protection services to ensure their own personal safety over 2010/11.

"In the midst of rising food prices and impending food insecurity, the negative downstream effects of even one farm murder cannot be overstated. It creates the kind of insecurity that disincentivises both investment and reinvestment in agriculture, a cornerstone of government’s draft National Development Plan. The cost is ultimately felt by all South Africans.

"Taking out a progressive farmer is like removing a spoke in the wheel of rural economies. It has a devastating effect all along the supply chain, leading to joblessness and further entrenching avoidable poverty."

Trollip said the DA has made repeated calls for rural safety units to be established, yet Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has done nothing to fill the security void left when the commando system was finally disbanded in 2009.

National Spokesperson Mmusi Maimane has sent a copy of the DA’s rural safety plan blueprint to the president's office, and the party has sent inquiries on the rural safety plan to the Minister of Police and the new National Police Commissioner.  The party is awaiting a reply.

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Tue May 21 00:24:36 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 13, 2012

Chichi7

Aaargh man, not again. When will this bloodshed stop?
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Aug 13, 2012

cornelius

@ Chichi7 It will stop when people, of all races, listen to the leaders that are advocating peace and reconcilation, and reject those leaders ( whites - Boeremag types - blacks - Malema and other ANCYL types ) who advocate hatred and violence.
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Aug 13, 2012

Sinudeity_

cornelius - Not as easy as that unfortunately. We have a culture of violence. Burning down schools, r@ping grannies and toddlers, mindless murder... murder and rape capital of the world.

Its not poverty, if you steal for food, but then k1ll the person. Then its nothing but cold blooded murder. Its not our politicians, its our people.
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Aug 13, 2012

Chichi7

@ Sinudeity- I totally agree with you. We have become such a heartless nation such that nothing shocks us.
Change starts with every individual and this can not happen as we are too busy pointing fingers at each other and finding the next person to blame and actually justify certain crime because of the past.
I wanted so much more of a better world for my kids and everyday, my dreams go down the drain.
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Aug 13, 2012

Mellow

SA is a mess this madness is becoming a norm how sic is this? Sic!!!
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Aug 13, 2012

Tikoloshe

.....what do you expect when Malema is calling for the ki.lling of farmers and Mantashe and Zuma are supporting him.

Zuma is culpable in these murders...his time in court will come!!!!!!
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Aug 13, 2012

Sinudeity_

This is the second farm murder to happen today. In another case, 3 men shot and killed a woman while she was alone on her farm. Bloody cowards. 3 armed men against 1 unarmed woman.
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Aug 13, 2012

cocolucho

This is the first time that sowetan has reported on farm murders. Personally I didnt know that they existed or the extent of it til january this year. May the murderers get caught and suffer a painful and long slow death.
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Aug 13, 2012

Mbelewolwazi

Malema hath spoken and the followers hath doneth.
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Aug 13, 2012

malemaforpresident

Chichi7
Aaargh man, not again. When will this bloodshed stop?
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Only when shower stop marrying too many wives and abusing them with his spear
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