The farm attack on Sunday 17 January 2021, where an elderly farm manager was attacked at Zastron in the Free State and the local police station did not have a vehicle available to visit the scene after that, shows that the police are not serious about rural security.
It seems that the police’s national rural security plan, which was to be implemented by 31 August last year but was sidelined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is no longer a priority.
During the attack the 77-year-old Mr. Simon Makhota was assaulted and stabbed and then the three attackers tried to drown him in a septic tank.
Surrounding farmers went to help, but when the police on Zastron were called, they were reportedly unable to go to the scene because there was no vehicle available.
While the public often sees police manpower being wasted patrolling empty beaches, it is unacceptable that no vehicle is available for a serious farm attack.
Infrastructure and manpower are two of the most important components of the security plan and it is unacceptable for the FF Plus that no progress has apparently been made with the plan.
With the launch of the security plan in 2019, the FF Plus has already pointed out that previous, similar plans have failed because words have not been transformed into deeds. What is happening now is a repetition of previous failures.
The party has long insisted that farm attacks be declared a priority crime so that more resources can be made available for rural security and will continue to strive for this.
The FF Plus (Dr. Pieter Groenewald) will take up the matter again in the parliament’s portfolio committee for police and with the national commissioner, lt.genl. Khehla Sithole.
The party will ensure that the security plan remains on the agenda. The pandemic and the restriction regulations cannot be used as an excuse to undermine this initiative as well.
Read about more farm attacks here
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Dr Pieter Groenewald on FF Plus
