Vrystaat Landbou (VL) is verheug oor 48 ekstra voertuie wat vir landelike veiligheidkoördineerders by polisiestasies in die Vrystaat gegee word. Só het Tommie Esterhuyse, Vise-president van VL, gesê nadat dié voertuie deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) beskikbaar gestel is om te help om misdaad te bekamp.

Volgens hom is dit “ ’n historiese dag is vir landelike beveiliging” en het hy die gebaar verwelkom. Die voertuie sal slegs deur die polisie gebruik word om misdaad in landelike gebiede en landbougemeenskappe aan te spreek.

Sam Mashinini, Vrystaatse LUR vir Polisie, Paaie en Vervoer, het op 19 Julie 2019 by ’n geleentheid by die Glen-landboukollege in Bloemfontein gesê die voertuie gaan gebruik word om ernstige geweldsmisdade en veediefstal aan te spreek. Volgens Esterhuyse is dit ’n gegewe dat meer mannekrag en voertuie steeds nodig is.

Mashinini het ook beklemtoon dat die voertuie opgepas moet word, asof dit polisiebeamptes se eie is. Hy meen landbouers moet hul vee merk en gereeld tel en dat die Vrystaat ’n provinsie is waar landbougemeenskappe in vrede hul besigheid moet kan verrig.

Lt. genl. Moeketsi Sempe, Provinsiale kommissaris van die SAPD, het bevestig dat die voertuie as deel van fase een in die Landelike-beveiligingstrategie (LBS) uitgereik is om misdade in landelike gebiede, in samewerking met landbougemeenskappe, aan te spreek. Hy het ook gemeld dat veiliheidkoördineerders fleksietyd gaan werk na aanleiding van hul misdaad-patroon analise.

Sempe het VL bedank vir die goeie samewerking tussen die polisie en die organisasie. Hy het ook versoek dat landbouers die polisie se dienslewering moet evalueer en waar probleme ontstaan, die lyn van bevel of protokol oor klagtes gevolg moet word. “Landbouers moet nie reg in eie hande neem nie en alle wette nakom,” het hy gesê.

Volgens Esterhuyse het Genl. Khehla Sitole, Nasionale Kommissaris van die SAPD, tydens gesprekvoering met Agri SA gemeld dat hy georganiseerde landbou as ’n vennoot in die LBS sien.

Hy het op sy beurt klem gelê op die vertrouensverhouding en dat behalwe sameweking en verhoudinge daar gewerk moet word aan wedersydse vertroue. Die voertuie moet gesien word as ’n instrument om goeie verhoudinge te bou tussen plaaswerkers, landbouers en die polisie.

Free State Agriculture welcomes extra vehicles to combat crime

Free State Agriculture (FSA) is pleased with the 48 extra vehicles being given to rural safety coordinators at Free State police stations. This is according to Tommie Esterhuyse, Vice President of FSA after these vehicles were made available by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to help combat crime.

According to him, it is “a historic day for rural safety” and he welcomed the gesture. The vehicles will only be used by the police to address crime in rural and agricultural communities.

On 19 July 2019 at Glen Agricultural College in Bloemfontein Sam Mashinini, Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, said the vehicles will be used to address serious violent crimes and stock theft. According to Esterhuyse, it is a given that more manpower and vehicles are still needed.

Mashinini also stressed that the vehicles should be looked after as if they were the property of police officers. He said farmers should mark their livestock and regularly take a stock count and that the Free State is a province where agricultural communities must be able to do their business in peace.

Lt. General. Moeketsi Sempe, Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS, confirmed that the vehicles were issued as part of phase one of the Rural Safety Strategy (RSS) to address crimes in rural areas, in conjunction with agricultural communities. He also reported that safety coordinators will work flexitime in response to their crime pattern analysis.

Sempe thanked FSA for the good cooperation between the police and the organisation. He also requested farmers to evaluate police service delivery and where problems arise, the line of command or protocol on complaints should be followed. “Farmers should not take the law into their own hands and must comply with all laws,” he said.

According to Esterhuyse Genl. Khehla Sitole, National Commissioner of the SAPS, during talks with Agri SA reported that he sees organised agriculture as a partner in the RSS.

He emphasized a relationship of trust and that, in addition to cooperation and relationships, mutual trust should be worked on. The vehicles should be seen as a tool to build good relationships between farm workers, farmers and the police.