Farm murder statistics of 2015 worse than the 2014 figures

Farm murder statistics of 2015 worse than the 2014 figures
Farm murder statistics in South Africa of 2015 worse than the 2014 figures

The civil rights group AfriForum and the agricultural union TLU SA announced on Thursday that since January 1, 1990 more than 1 700 farm murders occurred in South Africa.

“In 2007 there was an increase of about 25% in farm attacks. In the same year the police department decided that no further statistics on farm attacks and murders may be released. For this reason we believe that the government deprioritized farm murders. Since then it has been left to the civil society to gather data themselves, “said AfriForum and TLU SA.”

According to the organizations, there were a total of 277 confirmed attacks and 67 confirmed farm murders in 2014. “It appears that the statistics of 2015 to date is even darker than the 2014 figures.”

During the morning of 12 January 2015 two farm attacks took place, during which three murders were committed. Since January 1, there have already been nine farm murders committed in total. This is more than a farm murder every two days. “If this rate of farm murders in 2015 continues then this year there will be more than 200 farm murders,” the organizations said.

Both AfriForum and TLU SA have expressed concern about the political environment that has been created in South Africa in terms of violence against farmers. “Our experience is that South Africa’s food producers are used as a political punching bag and used by politicians as scapegoats for South Africa’s crises. The fact that the ruling party does not stand up in public for the protection of farmers rights, is a confirming aspect. ”

“According to AfriForum and TLU SA the wave of farm murders that has engulfed the country is confirmation that the police’s rural safety plan is not effective.”
The two organizations also have made information and graphs available regarding farm attacks and murders:

Vulnerable areas:

  • Gauteng – North of Pretoria (Wallmansthal)
  • Mpumalanga – Ermelo Korridor
  • Limpopo – Tzaneen and the Vivo Gap
  • North West – Brits and Rustenburg
  • Free State – Bloemfontein / Botshabelo

Newly activated areas:

  • KwaZulu-Natal – Vryheid, Midlands and South Coast
  • Eastern Cape – Barkly East

Source

South Africa Today – South Africa News