AfriForum victorious in High Court; SAPS must present farm murder statistics

26 February 2016

AfriForum was today victorious in the Pretoria High Court after Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen adjudicated that the South African Police Service (SAPS) must present statistics regarding farm murders and attacks between 1990 and 2015, as well as the methodology concerning the gathering of the statistics, to the civil rights organisation.

This originated from the formal request which AfriForum directed to the discharged National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, for the complete farm murder statistics of the SAPS for the period between 1990 and 2015.

The application was brought in accordance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act after Government announced in 2007 that it would no longer collect any statistics on farm murders. Phiyega, however, declared in March 2015 that the SAPS has still been collecting these statistics for all these years. She argued that these numbers are updated for “operational reasons”, but not published.

“We regard the matter as a huge breakthrough in the battle against farm murders. The police are collecting these statistics, but has refused since 2007 to present it to the public. At last the public will also know what the police knows. However, it is tragic that one had to fight all the way to the High Court to obtain this basic information,” said Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum.

The following information must be made public within 30 days after the court order has been served on the SAPS:

1.  Annual statistics for farm murders and attacks between 1990 and April 2015.

2. Annual provincial statistics for farm murders and attacks between 1990 and April 2015.

3. Annual statistics for farm murders and attacks arranged according to region between 1990 and April 2015.

4. Local police stations’ statistics for farm murders and attacks between 1990 and April 2015.

5. The document in which the methodology for the gathering of data for 1 to 4 above has been set out as well as the processing thereof. 

AfriForum started a campaign in 2012 for the release of correct statistics on farm murders and attacks, as well as the prioritisation of these crimes. Roets also said that the publication of these statistics is the first step in prioritising farm murders.  

Statement issued by Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO, AfriForum, 26 February 2016