Farm attack report questioned

2003-09-25 17:18

Cape Town - There were mixed reactions on Thursday to the release of the report of the independent committee of inquiry into farm attacks.

The report - released by senior police officers at Parliament - found that the attacks were not racially motivated, and that pure criminal intent was behind them.

The Transvaal Agricultural Union was critical of the statement that farm attacks were driven by theft.

"If theft was the driving force, why would they not take what they want and leave?" the TAU asked.

There was also clear evidence of victims being tortured before being murdered, which indicated vindictiveness. There was evidence that in some cases the attackers waited for hours for the victims to return.

While some "deliberate inputs" by several organisations suggested such crimes were the result of ill-treatment of farm workers, the report found the majority of attackers were from metropolitan areas.

Also of concern was the ability of the criminal justice system to investigate farm attacks.

"The reported lack of investigative ability, the growing distrust in the Saps, the reference that less than 50% of reported cases are investigated, and the fact that less than 10% of crimes terminate in a successful prosecution, are reasons for serious concern."

The TAU asked government to urgently provide an effective criminal justice system and police service to serve the community, and clearly support the farming community to protect lives and property.

The report found that attacks on white farm dwellers were almost double the number of attacks against black farm dwellers, almost five times as many white victims were murdered compared to black victims, and the levels of violence directed against victims were unexplainably high.

The Freedom Front also questioned the finding that "ordinary crime" was behind 90% of such attacks.

FF leaders Pieter Mulder said the party remained convinced that political motives and possible racial undertones were vital causes of the attacks.

"During the last ten years the farming community in South Africa were the victims of 15 000 farm attacks in which more than 1 500 were murdered. These murders were committed with an unexplainable high level of violence and brutality."

"A farm murderer, who waits for three hours in a farm house, then rapes the wife and murders both is definitely not there because he only wants to steal something," Mulder said.

The Democratic Alliance said the report gave the impression that government would not protect the victims of farm attacks.

"You are on your own. The government will not protect you. That is the message to farmers and farm workers in the farm attack report released at parliament," DA spokesperson on rural safety Paul Swart said.

Meanwhile the New National Party has welcomed the finding that farm attacks were not politically or racially motivated.

Spokesperson Piet Matthee said in a statement that it was also good news that the police was successfully tracking down attackers and getting them convicted.

Matthee said he agreed with the report that some farmers needed to give more thought to security measures.

"Some farms are still so-called soft targets because of a lack of security measures. The NNP agrees with the committee that this needs urgent attention and an enormous joint effort is needed in this regard.

"The NNP is convinced that this report can go a long way in solving the problem of farm attacks but then it must be implemented fully."

- SAPA