Mpumalanga is clearly a hot spot when it comes to farm attacks. In the latest incident, an 80-year-old farmer, Mr Hennie van der Walt, was murdered on 16 November 2022, in Dwarsfontein near Delmas. It was the fourth farm murder in the province in a very short period of time.
Over the past few months, Mpumalanga has seen a serious spike in farm attacks, with victims losing their lives mostly in brutal ways.
The way in which farmers, farm workers and their families are left vulnerable to the worst forms of torture is absolutely inhumane, and must never be allowed to become the norm.
Mr Van der Walt is the latest victim of government’s sheer inability to protect its citizens, minority groups and especially farmers.
The solution is simple: The moment the political will exists to ensure safety and security in rural areas and to put proper punitive measures in place, there will be a drastic drop in the number of farm attacks and murders.
The silence on farm murders from the provincial Premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, sends a loud and clear message to the farming community that they are being utterly disregarded.
The FF Plus has already arranged an urgent meeting with her to discuss rural safety.
The FF Plus is once again urgently calling on rural communities to organise and arm themselves.
Every farmer must become involved in his community’s security plans.
Many lives have been saved through existing systems and training.
Radio panic systems, communication groups, cameras in and around homes, overview and numberplate cameras in districts, guard dogs inside the home, community response teams and good quality fences are all non-negotiable. No farmer should be without it.
The FF Plus will apply as much pressure as it can to ensure that the murderers are arrested and duly prosecuted.
The FF Plus demands swift and decisive action, and no bail when the murderers are apprehended.
The FF Plus expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr Van der Walt.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Werner Weber on FF Plus
Read: Farm murder: Farmer (80) found brutally murdered in his home, Dwarsfontein
Read about more farm attacks here
