Vrystaat Landbou (VL) het plaasaanvalle en -moorde vir 2020 geanaliseer en sal in Maart ʼn volledig verslag bekendstel. Die landbougemeenskap is bekommerd oor die styging in aanvalle en moorde wanneer 2020 met 2019 vergelyk word. Hierdie styging is duidelik ten spyte van drie maande se harde grendeltydperk en ʼn aandklokreël in 2020. ʼn Algehele verhoging van 12.5% (agt aanvalle en een moord) sedert 2019 word aangetoon.

In die 2020-kalenderjaar was daar 60 plaasaanvalle en 12 moorde, terwyl daar in 2019 ʼn totaal van 52 plaasaanvalle en 11 moorde was. In die boerderygemeenskappe is 37 dorpe deur die tipe misdaad geraak. Hoëmisdaad- gebiede is as kleinhoewes om Bloemfontein en plase in gebiede van Hobhouse, Marquard, Odendaalsrus, Theunissen en Virginia geïdentifiseer. Amper 30% van plaasaanvalle en -moorde het in boerderygemeenskappe van grensdorpe naby die RSA/Lesotho-grens plaasgevind.

Volgens dr. Jane Buys, veiligheidsrisiko-analis van VL, was 100 mense slagoffers van plaasaanvalle, waarvan 13 vermoor is. Verder is 30 werkers, 23 produsente, 3 opkomende boere, 5 mense woonagtig op plase of kleinhoewes en 10 vrouens of seuns van produsente en/of werkers aangeval en/of vermoor. Dit is kommerwekkend dat kinders in vyf aanvalle ook onder die slagoffers getel het.

Wat betref die manifestasie van aanvalle en moorde, was daar gewoonlik ongeveer 3 tot 6 aanvallers, en 37 aanvalle en moorde is uitgevoer deur vuurwapens te gebruik. Dit dui daarop dat ʼn boer of werker en sy vrou aan groepe gewapende aanvallers uitgelewer is.

Mnr. Jakkals le Roux, voorsitter van VL se Landelike Veiligheidskomitee, versoek boeregemeenskappe en veral gesinne om hulself deurlopend te bemagtig deur opleidingskursusse in huis-en-haard-beskerming asook gereelde skietoefeninge met gelisensieërde vuurwapens by te woon wat deur privaat sekuriteitsmaatskappye in landbouverenigingverband aangebied en deur VL ondersteun word.

In 11 aanvalle en moorde kon aanvallers nie daarin slaag om enige items te roof nie. Dit is danksy die vinnige reaksie van slagoffers en/of die teenreaksie wat hul ondersteuningsbasis gebied het, waarna aanvallers op die vlug geslaan het.

Le Roux versoek boerderygemeenskappe om hul waaksaamheid en weerbaarheid te verhoog wanneer hulle hul plaaswerf of woning nader wanneer hulle vanaf die dorp of veld kom, aangesien meer as die helfte van aanvalle en moorde buite wonings gepleeg word. Boere moet ook bedag wees dat aanvallers plase onder valse voorwendsels betree waar hulle hulself voordoen as veekopers of selfs as amptenare verbonde aan sekere staatsdepartemente. In dié verband kan kameranetwerke op plaaspaaie en by wonings voorkomend aangewend word. Boere word ook versoek om deel te word van ʼn veiligheidstruktuur en -plan in hul onderskeie areas, byvoorbeeld om by ʼn boerevereniging en by VL in te skakel.

Dr. Buys meld dat 25 plaasaanvalle in die 2020-kalenderjaar voorkom is deurdat inligting vooraf vanaf boerderygemeenskappe ontvang is. Verder het die optrede vanuit polisiegeledere tot arrestasies gelei waar gewapende persone oppad was om aanvalle uit te voer. Die feit dat werkers dreigemente aan hulle en ander inligting betyds deurgee, het ook gelei tot die suksesvolle opvolging van inligting deur die polisie en veral misdaadintelligensie-strukture. Sodoende is die aanvalle afgeweer. Kommunikasie en die deurgee van inligting is van kardinale belang om proaktiewe aksie teen misdaad in misdaadomgewings daar te stel.

RISE OF FARM ATTACKS AND MURDERS IN FREE STATE IN 2020

Free State Agriculture (FSA) has analysed farm attacks and murders for 2020 and will release a full report in March. Comparing 2020 with 2019, the agricultural community is concerned about the rise in attacks and murders. This increase is evident despite three months of hard lockdown and a curfew in 2020. An overall increase of 12.5% (eight attacks and one murder) since 2019 is shown.

In the 2020 calendar year, 60 farm attacks and 12 murders were recorded, while in 2019 a total of 52 farm attacks and 11 murders were documented.

In the farming communities, 37 towns were affected by this type of crime. High crime areas were identified as smallholdings around Bloemfontein and farms in areas of Hobhouse, Marquard, Odendaalsrus, Theunissen and Virginia. Almost 30% of farm attacks and murders occurred in farming communities from border towns near the RSA/Lesotho border.

According to Dr. Jane Buys, FSA Safety Risk Analyst, 100 people were victims of farm attacks, of which 13 were killed. Furthermore, 30 workers, 23 producers, 3 emerging farmers, 5 people living on farms or smallholdings, and 10 wifes or sons of producers and/or workers were attacked and/or killed. It is alarming that in five attacks children also counted among the victims.

As for the manifestation of attacks and killings, there usually were about 3 to 6 attackers, and 37 attacks and killings were carried out using firearms. This suggests that a farmer or worker and his wife are at the mercy of groups of armed assailants.

Mr. Jakkals le Roux, Chairperson of FSA’s Rural Safety Committee, requests farming communities and especially families to continuously empower themselves by attending training courses in home protection as well as regular firing practice with licensed firearms hosted by private security companies in agricultural association context and supported by FSA.

In 11 attacks and killings, attackers failed to steal anything. This is thanks to the rapid response of victims and/or counteraction offered by a support base, after which attackers fled.

Le Roux requests farming communities to increase their vigilance and preparedness when approaching their farmyard or residence when they come from town or field, as more than half of the attacks and murders are committed outside dwellings. Farmers should also be mindful that attackers enter farms under false pretexts presenting themselves as livestock buyers or even as officials from certain government departments. In this regard, camera networks on farm roads and in dwellings can be used preventively. Farmers are also requested to become part of a safety structure and security plan in their respective areas, for example joining a farmers’ association and FSA.

Dr. Buys states that 25 farm attacks were prevented in the 2020 calendar year in that information was received in advance from farming communities. Furthermore, the actions from police led to arrests where armed persons were on their way to carry out attacks. The fact that workers timeously pass on threats and other information they received also led to successful follow-ups on information by the police and especially crime intelligence structures. In doing so, the attacks were prevented. Communication and passing information are of paramount importance to establish proactive action against crime in crime environments.