Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes today’s important joint meeting between the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and the Portfolio Committee on Police, because this joint meeting marks a critical step toward addressing the escalating crisis of rural and farm safety in South Africa.
Today’s engagement in Parliament focused on improving cooperation between the Department of Agriculture and the South African Police Service (SAPS) to improve safety on our farms and in our rural areas.
Both the Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen as well as the Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, attended this meeting. We are encouraged by the willingness of both committees as well as the willingness of both Ministers Steenhuisen and Mchunu to engage on these matters.
The safety of our rural communities, including that of our farmers and farm workers, remains a matter of national importance.
The need for more effective and coordinated strategies to combat rural crime cannot be overstated.
During this meeting, the DA again pushed for:
- Better cooperation between the SAPS and private rural safety initiatives such as farm watches;
- The establishment of a specialised Rural Safety Unit within SAPS;
Improved crime intelligence in rural areas; - Better equipped rural police stations, and
- Targeting stock theft organised crime rackets.
Rural safety units should be specifically tasked with addressing the unique challenges faced by rural communities, including farm attacks, farm murders, and stock theft. These heinous crimes not only threaten food security but also devastate the lives of farmers and farm workers who are the backbone of our agricultural economy.
Improved crime intelligence in rural areas can deliver intelligence-led policing – something essential to pre-empt and prevent criminal activities, particularly in remote areas where law enforcement visibility remains limited.
Better-equipped rural police stations will mean more dedicated police vehicles which are suitable for rural terrain and will be available exclusively for use in rural safety operations. It is unacceptable that police officers operating in rural areas are often left without the basic resources necessary to respond effectively to emergencies and to properly investigate rural crimes.
Combatting stock theft was also raised as a priority, because stock theft is not only being committed by individuals acting alone but as a form of organised crime that continues to inflict economic losses on our agricultural sector. The DA therefore advocates for the development of targeted operations to dismantle the syndicates responsible for stock theft that are responsible for losses of more than R 3 billion per year.
The DA remains committed to protecting the lives, livelihoods, and dignity of all who live and work in South Africa’s rural areas and we will continue to advocate for concrete outcomes that will improve the safety of our rural areas.
Regards
Willie Aucamp MP
DA Spokesperson on Agriculture