7 farm attacks in Tshwane within 24hrs raises concern

Members of the Pretoria North sector 3 Community Policing Forum (CPF) held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening, following seven attacks on the smallholdings in the area all in a matter of only 24 hours.

On Tuesday night, CPF members were called out to a property in Haakdoornboom after two workers were attacked and injured around 19:15 by a group of unknown men, reports Pretoria North Rekord.

CPF sector 3 spokesperson Cobie Jansen van Rensburg said the injured workers ran to her property for help.

“Both the workers, who were sitting outside around a fire, were attacked and robbed of their cellphones and cash.”

One of the workers was hit over the head with an unknown object while the other one was grazed on the head by what was believed to be a bullet when shots were fired.

Emergency services arrived on the scene and the workers were treated before being taken to the Steve Biko academic hospital.

Jansen van Renburg said the spike in attacks, robberies and break-ins was a huge concern.

“According to the description of the suspects, there’s a big possibility that it’s the so-called ‘long and short gang’. They have regrouped and divided up into two groups,” she said.

From Tuesday to Wednesday, seven incidents were reported in an area a 15km radius.

“On Tuesday, two residents were attacked and injured in a house robbery around 19:45. Later that evening, another property was targeted in the area and the property’s windows were broken and the fence was cut. Another attempted house break-in with shots fired was also reported the same evening,” she said.

“On Wednesday, two house robberies, an attempted house robbery and an attempted murder were reported.”

“We as community are facing challenges like never before,” she said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has said it is deeply concerned about the rise of farm attacks in Onderstepoort.

He said the DA has for some time been calling on the Gauteng ANC-led government to address the safety of our rural communities “as the previous rural crime interventions proposed by government have yielded very little to no success”.

“We have tabled a motion in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) on violent crimes in the province, particularly crime against rural communities. In addition to this motion, we have also launched a petition on crimes in rural communities.

“It is high time that the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko urgently intervenes and implements measures to ensure that our rural communities are kept safe.

“The DA calls on MEC Mazibuko to prioritise these farm attacks investigations and assist the police in these farm areas with additional resources so that they are better able to protect farm communities.”

(Additional reporting by Makhosandile Zulu)

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