Farming: 'Most dangerous' job

2006-07-13 22:42

Johannesburg - Rural crime has turned farming into one of the most dangerous professions in the country, the Freedom Front Plus said on Thursday.

"Farmers are the group among which the most murders take place, on average 313 out of each 100 000," FF Plus spokesperson Pieter Groenewald said in a media statement.

"The likelihood of a victim dying during a farm attack is three times higher than a victim dying during a (cash-in) transit heist."

Groenewald said the rate of police killings - 153 out of every 100 000 - was much lower than in the case of farmers.

"It can be accepted that since 1991 up to now, approximately 1 600 farmers in nearly 10 000 of farm attacks have already been killed."

This was based on an average murder figure of 112 a year between 2000 and 2004, Groenewald said.

It was "extremely disconcerting" that the government was continuing the closure of commandos.

"The government knows that sector policing in rural areas does not work and a vacuum exists in the security of these areas," Groenewald said.

"It is clear that the government is not disturbed by the farm murders and farm attacks."

- SAPA