Minister of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana has agreed to bring together role-players across a wide spectrum to launch a joint front against farm attacks and other rural violence.

The initiative was agreed to at a meeting on Thursday between the minister and a delegation from the rights group AfriForum.

The initiative was also aimed at helping to improve cooperation on local level between the various role-players in local communities‚ Zokwana and AfriForum said in a joint statement.

 The parties agreed that the statement by acting National Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Khomotso Phahlane‚ namely that farm murders and livestock theft would be treated as priority crimes‚ was a step in the right direction.

 The parties further agreed that‚ apart from the police’s promised actions‚ it was also necessary that the support and cooperation of role-players across a wide spectrum should be enlisted so that communities could tackle burning issues in rural areas together‚ the statement said.

 Some of the role-players that the minister would enlist included agricultural unions‚ local governments‚ community safety initiatives and other community organisations‚ it added.

 “It is important that we fight this problem jointly‚ as it is only when we work together that we will end these unnecessary killings. We will convene this forum as soon possible in order to craft a way forward on how to combat this battle‚” Zokwana said after the meeting.

Kallie Kriel‚ CEO of AfriForum‚ described the meeting with the minister as constructive.

 “AfriForum’s country-wide community safety initiatives work hard to create safer communities‚ and will‚ in every South African’s interest‚ cooperate to help create better cooperation between communities and to improve community relations‚” Kriel added.