Free State farm murders: Will MEC take action now? 

15 July 2019

The FF Plus has officially requested the Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Sam Mashinini, to discuss the possibility of establishing a rural safety unit in the Free State with the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.

During the budget vote debate in the National Assembly last week, Cele indicated that he wants to combat crime through intelligence and specialist policing.

The FF Plus's request follows the murder of a couple from Boshof, Sakkie and Ina van der Berg, who were murdered on their farm this past weekend. According to media reports, the attackers could possibly also be implicated in the murder of Basil and Monica Daniacos from Dealesville in May this year.

If there had been proactive policing in the district, both these murders could have been prevented.

The FF Plus believes that establishing specialist units is one way to combat farm attacks and address the lack of safety in rural areas.

The MEC and the Minister cannot keep ignoring farm attacks. The more than 60 farm murders and 217 farm attacks that have taken place in South Africa since the beginning of 2019 serve as proof that farms are being targeted.

The MEC now has the opportunity to ensure the safety of farmers, farm workers and other people living in the rural areas by requesting the Minister to establish specialist and intelligence-driven policing units and making the necessary resources available in the Free State.

Both the Minister and the MEC have a constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety of the people in rural areas. The FF Plus will follow-up on the matter to see if the MEC will comply with the request.

Issued by Armand Cloete, FF Plus MP in National Council of Provinces (Free State), 15 July 2019