Farm attack report, at last

2003-09-24 22:27

Barnie Louw

Cape Town - The long awaited report on farm attacks will be released in parliament on Thursday. The completion of the report has been dragging on since 2001 when former minister of safety and security, Steve Tshwete, commissioned it.

The report would have been published a month ago, but was referred back to the independent investigation committee to address apparent deficiencies.

Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula said at the time that not enough findings and recommendations were made in certain sections of the report. Cabinet will study the report and then decide on the financing of rural safety.

Commissioner Andre Pruis, national deputy police chief, and Charl du Plessis, head of the investigating team, will attend the release of the report on Thursday.

National crime statistics released earlier this week indicated that violence against and murders of members of the farming community decreased by 15% over the period of a year. Between 2001 and 2002, 1 069 cases were reported, while only 903 were reported between 2002 and 2003. Only 490 cases were reported between 1997 and 1998.

The number of people who died in these attacks dropped from 140 in 2001-2002 to 103 in 2002-2003 - a drop of 26.4%. In 1997-1998, 87 people were murdered in farm attacks.

Police said analyses showed that robbery played a part in 90% of the cases of violence against farmers and their workers.

"Unfortunately, the cruelty of other crimes that accompany these attacks, such as rape, has left farmers under the impression that these crimes are terror attacks, aimed at driving them from their farms," stated the police's report on the national crime statistics.

- Die Burger