Farm murders and attacks in 2016 are at a seven-year high‚ with 64 murders and 334 attacks reported so far this year already.
The shocking statistics‚ which are only for the 11 months ending November with a month still to go‚ were released on Wednesday by the civil rights organisation AfriForum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA) ‚ who described the rise for the sixth-consecutive year as “disturbing”.
In 2015‚ there were 64 farm murders and 318 attacks.
According to General Chris van Zyl‚ asistant general manager of TAU SA‚ December 2016 is already indicating a further increase with an estimated ratio of nearly one murder per day up to the present for the month‚ which makes the total farm murder figure for 2016 the highest for the past seven years.
“A further disturbing trend is the evident increasing use of technology by farm attackers. We have CCTV proof of a device used by farm attackers that represses radio and cell phone communication as well as alarms. This equipment falls in the same league as military equipment that requires an end-user certificate‚” said Van Zyl.
Lorraine Claasen‚ crime analyst at the AfriForum Research Institute (ANI)‚ indicated that she was able to identify certain patterns in her analysis of various farm attacks and murders. Among others that farm attackers strike in groups that vary from one to as many as 13 attackers per incident. Also that attacks are undoubtedly planned in detail and that the farmer specifically is targeted during an attack and is frequently the first person to be attacked or murdered.
Ernst Roets‚ AfriForum’s deputy CEO‚ said he was especially concerned about the potential connection between what he referred to as outrageous political utterances and farm murders.
“Currently a climate prevails in the country where it became popular to make racist and hate speech remarks against white people. Even though we are extremely careful making assumptions when it comes to farm murders and attacks‚ we view this possible trend in a very serious light.”
Roets said however it was gladdening that acting police commissioner Lt.Gen Kgomotso Phahlane was showing greater willingness with regards to taking farm murder and farm attack figures into consideration.
Farm murders and attacks in 2016 at seven-year high
Farm murders and attacks in 2016 are at a seven-year high‚ with 64 murders and 334 attacks reported so far this year already.
The shocking statistics‚ which are only for the 11 months ending November with a month still to go‚ were released on Wednesday by the civil rights organisation AfriForum and the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA) ‚ who described the rise for the sixth-consecutive year as “disturbing”.
In 2015‚ there were 64 farm murders and 318 attacks.
According to General Chris van Zyl‚ asistant general manager of TAU SA‚ December 2016 is already indicating a further increase with an estimated ratio of nearly one murder per day up to the present for the month‚ which makes the total farm murder figure for 2016 the highest for the past seven years.
“A further disturbing trend is the evident increasing use of technology by farm attackers. We have CCTV proof of a device used by farm attackers that represses radio and cell phone communication as well as alarms. This equipment falls in the same league as military equipment that requires an end-user certificate‚” said Van Zyl.
Lorraine Claasen‚ crime analyst at the AfriForum Research Institute (ANI)‚ indicated that she was able to identify certain patterns in her analysis of various farm attacks and murders. Among others that farm attackers strike in groups that vary from one to as many as 13 attackers per incident. Also that attacks are undoubtedly planned in detail and that the farmer specifically is targeted during an attack and is frequently the first person to be attacked or murdered.
Ernst Roets‚ AfriForum’s deputy CEO‚ said he was especially concerned about the potential connection between what he referred to as outrageous political utterances and farm murders.
“Currently a climate prevails in the country where it became popular to make racist and hate speech remarks against white people. Even though we are extremely careful making assumptions when it comes to farm murders and attacks‚ we view this possible trend in a very serious light.”
Roets said however it was gladdening that acting police commissioner Lt.Gen Kgomotso Phahlane was showing greater willingness with regards to taking farm murder and farm attack figures into consideration.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos