Johannesburg - There were five farm murders in South Africa in August, civil rights group AfriForum said on Wednesday.
“August was a horrific month in terms of farm attacks. There were 22 confirmed attacks and five confirmed murders. Seventeen murders were reported in the last three months,” spokesman Ian Cameron said in a statement.
He urged people in farming areas to join safety initiatives to prevent farm attacks. There were many agricultural and farming organisations, private institutions, and community initiatives people could get involved with.
“Government fails to protect people. We must therefore do it ourselves. Government often says citizens cannot act, but it is our right as civilians to protect our lives and our property,” Cameron said.
According to AfriForum, the five farm murders in August occurred in Ellisras and Letsitele in Limpopo, Hartbeespoort in North West, Vredendal in the Western Cape, and Elandskloof in Mpumalanga.
It named the victims as Koos Jonker, Piet van Zyl, Kobus van der Westhuizen, Coba Odendaal, and Josef Puleng Makua.
A total of 87 farm attacks had been reported to AfriForum this year, which was a conservative estimate, Cameron said.
Sapa