AfriForum, celebrities and families of victims of farm murders march to Minister's Office
AfriForum today marched from Church Square to the office of Nathi Mthethwa, the Minister of Police, with 10 families who have lost loved ones to farm murders, various celebrities and hundreds of concerned South Africans where they read a memorandum which demands the prioritisation of farm murders. The musicians who participated in the march include Steve Hofmeyr, Chris Chameleon and Adam Tas. The families include that of Attie, Wilna and little Willemien Potgieter who were murdered on their farm in Lindley on 1 December 2010. The families displayed photos of their murdered kin. Victims who survived farm attacks also joined the march.
Earlier this week the North Gauteng High Court found that the march may continue after the Department of Police attempted to declare it an illegal action. The Department of Police and the Metro Police refused to give reasons for this attempt and the court found that AfriForum had met all the statutory requirements and could therefore continue with the action.
‘Farm murders are not only a crisis. They are a catastrophe,' Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, said. ‘Farmers live in unique circumstances in remote areas where the police's reaction time is slow. They are killed in large numbers and even tortured. Despite this, government and the Department of Police refuse to even acknowledge that there is a crisis, never mind formulating a focussed counter strategy.'
It was decided to hold this action on 1 December since this also marks the anniversary of the day the Potgieter family was murdered - a murder that shocked the country. ‘We do not only want to send a message to government that we demand action from them, but also to the victims; we will ensure that they do not become mere statistics, but are remembered and supported.'
Today's action forms part of AfriForum's Stop the Murders campaign which is linked to the broader Solidarity Movement's campaign against farm murders.
Statement issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO: AfriForum, December 1 2012
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