Cape Town - The assumption that farmers have large amounts of cash with them in the run-up to the festive season has been blamed for the rise in farm attacks.
Agricultural organisation TLU SA said that since November there have been a number of reported attacks on farms across the country, including in the Western Cape.
TLU SA’s deputy general manager Chris van Wyk said that one of the main reasons for the increase is that there was a perception of a lot of cash, firearms and tradeable goods on every farm.
“This time of year sees increased farm attacks and crime on farms. There are those who commit robbery and theft to get something for the festive season.”
Agri Western Cape’s safety co-ordinator Uys van der Westhuizen said people tend to relax during the festive season and this made them more vulnerable.
Farmers who travel during the festive season must be sure to inform their neighbours when they leave their farms and leave their contact details with their farmworkers in case of emergency, he said.
“Among the farmworkers, there should also be one or two whose number is known to the farmer so that if there’s a problem they can call one another.”
Asked what plans the Province had for rural safety, Agriculture MEC Ivan Meyer said that in partnership with Agri Western Cape and district municipalities, the police would be launching joint safety operations centres for the festive season.
“Farm watches have also been further encouraged and motivated by the department to include rural youth and farmworkers as part of the farm watch structures.”
During a recent provincial rural safety summit, it emerged that agricultural crime costs South Africa approximately R5.7 billion per annum and that the same money could have created 136 871 employment opportunities instead.
African Farmers Association of South Africa chairperson Ismail Motala said that rural safety initiatives must be supported by programmes to tackle social ills such as unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, and gender-based violence.
Western Cape Agri-workers Forum chairperson Wimpie Paulse said: “Crime threatens agri-workers’ ability to care for themselves and their children. “Therefore, we support any project aimed at dealing with crime.”