S. African police says crimes on farms "an emerging pritority"

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has identified incidents of crime and violence on farms and small holdings as "an emerging priority" in the current 2016/2017 financial year, Acting National Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane said on Friday.

This will be part of its integrated approach towards eradicating crime and criminality in this country, he said, briefing reporters in Pretoria on his recent meeting with representatives from AfriForm, an civil rights organization on ways to fight farm crimes.

"It is for that reason that we have resolved to properly define these incidents as acts of violence against persons residing on, working on or visiting farms and small holdings; whether with intent to murder, rape, rob or inflict bodily harm," Phahlane said.

These include farm owners, farm workers and all other citizens of this country, irrespective of race, colour, creed, religion or sex, he said.

In addition to that, all acts of violence against the infrastructure and property in rural communities aimed at disrupting legal farming activities as a commercial concern are also included, said Phahlane.

Therefore, the SAPS has committed to collaborative efforts various stakeholders such as AfriForum as well as a number of organized agricultural unions around the country, he said.

Analyzing the recent trend of farm crimes, he said the number of perpetrators at a time ranges from two to eight; split into two groups at most incidents; they have been identified as mostly male and comprising of foreign nationals between the ages of 20 to 35 while the majority of victims are 50 years and above.

Police have seen a serious decline on the number of reported incident of violence on farms and small holdings from 532 in the 2010/2011 financial year to 446 in the 2015/2016 financial year, Phahlane said.

In addition, there has also been a decline in the number of reported murders on farms and small holdings from 80 in the 2010/2011 financial year to 49 in the 2015/2016 financial year, he said.

"Our efforts have also ensured that convictions from the investigation of incidents of violence on farms and small holdings across the country in the last three years; with some of the suspects sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in the Eastern Cape to a maximum of 80 years behind bars in KwaZulu-Natal," said the police chief.

The SAPS, AfriForum and the various agricultural unions have agreed to collaborate on matters of common interest, in due course, and to chat a way forward based on the Back-to-Basics approach to policing, said Phahlane. Endit