Durban - AFTER years of land invasions and violent crimes, farmers in Inanda are finally seeing action by police including arrests and visible policing in the area.
The farmers recently took their plight to KZN acting police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi after a two-year battle to get authorities to act on their cases.
Mkhwanazi acted immediately. Police vehicles have been permanently posted at their farms and their cases are being investigated by the Provincial Task Team.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said farmers and residents in the area had complained about the lack of progress with regard to cases that had been opened as far back as 2016.
They also claimed that the absence of policing on the farms, had contributed to the land invasions and large-scale criminality.
“The Acting Provincial Commissioner has directed detectives from the Provincial Task Team to investigate cases that were opened as far back as 2016. They are investigating about 40 cases including theft, trespassing, malicious damage to property, intimidation and fraud.”
He said General Mkhwanazi had instructed Inanda police to permanently post a patrol vehicle to these farms.
“This is to prevent further land invasions and to visit these affected farms on a daily basis. Police are meeting with the farmers on a monthly basis at the Rural Safety Forum.”
Last week, swift work by the team and other specialised units saw the arrest of Khekhe Edward Ngcobo, 85, who is linked to the illegal sale of farmland in the Inanda area. Naicker said the suspect had been linked to 19 cases. He was arrested in the Mzinyathi area on Thursday.
“Following a protracted investigation, which included the involvement of the office of the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in KZN, a controlled operation was conducted and the suspect sold private land to police agents for R20000.”
Naicker said the other suspects fled when they received news of Ngcobo’s arrest.
He appeared in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court on Friday and was released on a warning on condition that he did not interfere with farm owners or their land.
He is expected to reappear in court in January.
Naicker said investigations are on-going and detectives expect to make more arrests soon. Police interventions will remain until the matter is resolved.