Staff Reporter
The Free State recorded a 12.5 percent increase in farm attacks last year despite a hard lockdown with a night curfew.
This is contained in a report set to be released next month by Free State Agriculture (FSA).
“Comparing 2020 with 2019, the agricultural community is concerned about the rise in attacks and murders,” FSA said in a statement.
It said between January and December last year, 60 farm attacks and 12 murders were recorded, while in 2019 a total of 52 farm attacks and 11 murders were documented.
“This increase is evident despite three months of hard lockdown and a curfew in 2020,” said the large-scale farmers’ body.
At least 37 towns in the farming communities were targeted by criminals.
Among the high crime areas were smallholdings around Bloemfontein and farms in Hobhouse, Marquard, Odendaalsrus, Theunissen and Virginia.
Almost 30 of the farm attacks and murders occurred in farming communities bordering Lesotho.
FSA safety risk analyst Dr Jane Buys says about 100 people were victims of farm attacks, of which 13 were killed.
Furthermore, 30 workers, 23 producers, three emerging farmers, five people living on farms or smallholdings and 10 wives or sons of producers and/or workers were attacked and/or killed.
“It is alarming that in five attacks children also counted among the victims,” said Buys.
She said the attacks were mostly carried out by three to six people.
About 37 of the attacks and killings were carried out using firearms.
This, she said, suggests that a farmer or worker and his wife are at the mercy of groups of armed assailants.
However, in 11 attacks and killings, the assailants failed to steal anything as they were either disrupted by the victims or the rapid response teams.
Buys also said 25 farm attacks were prevented in 2020 after information was received in advance from farming communities.
Police action also led to the arrest of armed persons while on their way to carry out attacks.
FSA safety committee chairperson Jakkals le Roux urged people in farming communities to stay alert and vigilant when approaching their farms coming from town or the fields because more than half the attacks are committed outside dwellings.