The recent killing of a blind farmer in Alexandria has prompted the DA to launch a provincial court-watching briefs unit in the Eastern Cape, aimed at assisting farm attack victims and putting perpetrators behind bars.
DA MP Annette Steyn said the murder of Chrisjan van Niekerk was the first case that the unit would pursue.
Van Niekerk, 76, was hacked to death late in July on his farm Nooitgedacht in Alexandria near Port Elizabeth.
A local radio station has since reported that two men, aged 23 and 16, have been arrested for the murder.
“The situation in our rural areas is now at crisis point, with a sharp rise in terrible attacks and murders in June and July,” Steyn said.
“The horrific triple homicide in the Northern Cape a week ago has shaken the farming community nationwide.”
She said the most recent crime statistics for the period April 1 2019 to March 31 2020 indicated that the Eastern Cape was one of the most dangerous provinces for farmers, with 12 murders being committed in 11 incidents on farms and smallholdings.
The initiative had been introduced by the department of community safety in the DA-led Western Cape to act in accordance with the provisions contained in Section 206 (3) of the constitution, which provided that every province was entitled to monitor, police, conduct and report inefficiencies, she said.
“The criminal justice system is buckling in the face of rising crime and dismally low prosecution rates. Indeed, last year prosecution rates for serious offences were as low as 2%.”
“What chance does a farmer have to see justice done if he, his family, a farm manager, a farmworker or a visitor to the farm is attacked or murdered?
“With our initiatives the DA hopes to improve those chances.”
She said the initiative would assist the various state entities.
The unit will among other things, monitor police conduct and liaise with the relevant DA cabinet member responsible for policing or prosecutions.
“[It will] monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service, promote good relations between the police and the community and assess the effectiveness of visible policing,” she said.
“Farm attacks are terrorising our rural areas and as long as the attackers get away with their crimes, the horror is just going to continue.
“With this initiative, the DA seeks to ensure that criminals end up behind bars as soon as possible and the violence comes to an end.”
Steyn said by increasing the effectiveness of the criminal justice process and accountability, the deterrent effect would be enhanced.
Interested parties can visit the DA’s websites at stopplaasaanvalle.co.za or stopfarmattacks.co.za and co-sign an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on him to address the plight of farming communities.
- HeraldLIVE
DA launches unit to help bring farm murderers to justice
Image: Supplied
The recent killing of a blind farmer in Alexandria has prompted the DA to launch a provincial court-watching briefs unit in the Eastern Cape, aimed at assisting farm attack victims and putting perpetrators behind bars.
DA MP Annette Steyn said the murder of Chrisjan van Niekerk was the first case that the unit would pursue.
Van Niekerk, 76, was hacked to death late in July on his farm Nooitgedacht in Alexandria near Port Elizabeth.
A local radio station has since reported that two men, aged 23 and 16, have been arrested for the murder.
“The situation in our rural areas is now at crisis point, with a sharp rise in terrible attacks and murders in June and July,” Steyn said.
“The horrific triple homicide in the Northern Cape a week ago has shaken the farming community nationwide.”
She said the most recent crime statistics for the period April 1 2019 to March 31 2020 indicated that the Eastern Cape was one of the most dangerous provinces for farmers, with 12 murders being committed in 11 incidents on farms and smallholdings.
The initiative had been introduced by the department of community safety in the DA-led Western Cape to act in accordance with the provisions contained in Section 206 (3) of the constitution, which provided that every province was entitled to monitor, police, conduct and report inefficiencies, she said.
“The criminal justice system is buckling in the face of rising crime and dismally low prosecution rates. Indeed, last year prosecution rates for serious offences were as low as 2%.”
“What chance does a farmer have to see justice done if he, his family, a farm manager, a farmworker or a visitor to the farm is attacked or murdered?
“With our initiatives the DA hopes to improve those chances.”
She said the initiative would assist the various state entities.
The unit will among other things, monitor police conduct and liaise with the relevant DA cabinet member responsible for policing or prosecutions.
“[It will] monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service, promote good relations between the police and the community and assess the effectiveness of visible policing,” she said.
“Farm attacks are terrorising our rural areas and as long as the attackers get away with their crimes, the horror is just going to continue.
“With this initiative, the DA seeks to ensure that criminals end up behind bars as soon as possible and the violence comes to an end.”
Steyn said by increasing the effectiveness of the criminal justice process and accountability, the deterrent effect would be enhanced.
Interested parties can visit the DA’s websites at stopplaasaanvalle.co.za or stopfarmattacks.co.za and co-sign an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling on him to address the plight of farming communities.
- HeraldLIVE
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