AgriSA wants farm attack stats
2003-06-19 16:11
Pretoria - It makes no sense to withhold police figures said to be showing a decline in farm killings, AgriSA and the New National Party said on Thursday.
"If the statistics reflect a positive trend, why are they not made public?" asked AgriSA spokesperson Kobus Visser.
NNP safety and security spokesperson Johnny Schippers said the release of the figures could do much to ease the fears of farmers.
"Rather than hiding statistics, the police need to be actively involved in the generation and dissemination of information about the nation's crime situation."
National police commissioner Jackie Selebi's office has reported a decrease in farm murders this year, but would not give the full statistics.
His spokesperson, Director Sally de Beer, told Sapa on Thursday: "I am not allowed to give out figures before our annual report is tabled in parliament."
This was expected to happen in August or September, she said.
Visser said AgriSA found it difficult to react to the latest disclosure from Selebi's office.
"How could we? We don't have the statistics they are using - and they don't want to give us the figures."
He said AgriSA's own records showed farm murders had stabilised around the level of 145 killings a year.
"Rural attacks in general have been rising steadily by about 10% a year from 1997 to 2001."
Schippers said his party was relieved to learn of a drop in the number of farm murders.
Want to see it
"Although we do not doubt the truth of the information, which was made public by the commissioner, we would still like to see the statistics to ease the minds of farmers in affected areas.
De Beer said last year saw the first decline in farm murders since 1997, when police began recording them separately from other crimes.
"It is encouraging to note that the downward trend continued so far this year."
Farm attacks in general had more or less stabilised, de Beer said.
Schippers said his party was eagerly awaiting the publication of a report on farm attacks, expected to be released by the end of the month.
"Although we understand the complexity of this issue, the report should have been made public in 2001 already and is thus long overdue."
The report is being compiled by an independent committee of experts that investigated rural attacks on behalf of the ministry of safety and security.
The underlying reasons for rural crimes should be made known to all parties concerned, Schippers said.
"Racism, lack of morality, poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment in combination with other factors in the socio-political environment are believed to be behind these attacks."
- SAPA