The latest statistics released by Free State Agriculture (FA) corroborate the FF Plus’s demand that farm attacks and murders should be classified as priority crimes.
The statistics indicate that while approximately 230 farm attacks took place between April 2019 and May 2023 in the Free State, and 54 people were killed during these attacks, a mere 36 suspects have been apprehended.
Just five of the accused in farm murder cases have been convicted of murder over the last four years.
The FF Plus has demanded for several years that farm attacks should be declared a priority crime because these crimes are usually complex with specific characteristics, so, experts with the relevant experience and training will be able to investigate these crimes more effectively.
It will also free up the resources needed for preventative actions.
The good cooperation between farming communities and security structures should be facilitated by a specialist unit in the police so that strategies can be developed to ensure the safety of farmers and farm workers where such security systems are not yet in place.
This type of crime should now be classified as a priority crime.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Jan van Niekerk on FF Plus
