It has been widely criticized that prosecution is being instituted against alleged organizers of the so-called Black Monday protest marches in the Limpopo province.
In Warmbath Mr. Pieter Wagner told police at the police station where he was charged and where his fingerprints were taken as if he were a criminal of the worst grade. Similar prosecutions have also been instituted elsewhere.
“By contrast, the same Bela Bela police station did not respond to a call for assistance by three o’clock this morning when a farm attack was in progress at Droogekloof. If it were not for the community that was going to help, it would definitely have been more than the farmer’s two dogs that were poisoned,” said Mr. Henk van de Graaf, regional chairman of TAU SA Noord.
“It’s disturbing that the police have time to make peaceful farmers aware of their safety, they reveal their dissatisfaction, but the police are still unwilling or unable to protect farmers, as in Warmbath and also in the case of Naboomspruit where the owners of Paradise Lodge was attacked by no less than eight suspects,” said Mr. Van de Graaf.
“It must be realized that farmers are in many cases the backing of Community Policing Forums (GPF), and have already shown their good will to work with the police. However, where farmers seem to be forced by these prosecutions to choose between their loyalty to the police or their fellow citizens, they will rather be loyal to fellow farmers. It can harm good relationships with the police. It is simply unacceptable that the police are behind a law at public gatherings, while the meetings were peaceful without throwing a single stone, or tires were burned, or shops looted.”
Mr. Van dee Gaaf said they will call on Genl. Scheepers to seriously report, on the poor service delivery of police members, and a complaint will be filed against the Warmbath police station because they did not visit a farm attack scene.
Meanwhile, farmers must once again realize that they are on their own regarding safety and that they have to mobilize guards as if there is a full-scale emergency.
Dr. Pieter Groenewald took up the matter with the minister and commissioner of police. He said the FF Plus was under the impression that the action had the minister’s approval as he was aware of it beforehand and did not issue a warning. “It is clear that this action against farmers is the result of political pressure on the minister.”
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger
South Africa Today – South Africa News
