The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) condemns last weekend’s brutal farm attack in the Heilbron area, in which a farm worker was murdered and his wife seriously injured during a livestock theft incident.
According to reports, 11 attackers stole sheep and brutally assaulted the couple. Thanks to the swift response by the police and local farmers, the suspects were arrested and 22 stolen sheep recovered.
The Freedom Front Plus commends the collaboration between the local farming community and the police that led to a quick break in the case and subsequent arrests.
Reports issued by Free State Agriculture and the police indicate that several towns and districts in the Free State have already been identified as “red zones” for livestock theft and farm crime. These crimes have a devastating impact on farmers, farm workers and their families, and threaten food security and local employment.
The rise in livestock theft not only results in economic losses, but also fuels violent crime. When organised livestock theft goes unpunished, it often escalates into bloody attacks on defenceless people living on farms.
It appears that some of the suspects may have been involved in previous crimes. If that is indeed the case, the Freedom Front Plus demands that these repeat offenders be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The Freedom Front Plus implores the police to increase visible policing in these areas, and conduct regular roadblocks and night patrols.
For the time being, residents are encouraged to protect their property within the constraints of the law and remain proactively involved in rural safety forums.
The Freedom Front Plus expresses its deepest condolences to the victims’ family and wishes the injured woman a speedy recovery.
The party will not stand idly by while rural communities are left vulnerable to crime.
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