Only a third of those arrested for farm murders get convicted, say AfriForum

Only 33 % of suspects arrested in connection with 364 farm murders over the past six years have been convicted.

Out of these 364 farm murder victims, 279 were males, 74 female, and 11 unknown victims were recorded between 2016 and 2021.

These were just some of the findings in civil rights organisation AfriForum’s farm attack and farm murder comprehensive report released on Thursday morning.

Also Read: Farm murders ‘still high’ in SA, now in own category

“An average of 47% of known attackers during farm murders were arrested, but only 33% of the arrested perpetrators were convicted,“ AfriForum’s Head of Policy and Action, Ernst Roets said.

He reminded the media that the remaining suspects in these murders are still roaming the streets, and he said this was not only shocking but also showed how the criminal justice system was failing victims of farm attacks.

The report was drawn up using a media analysis approach, combined with verified cases.

“In light of the murder and torture rates on farms, it is now necessary for farmers to take their safety into their own hands,” he said.

Roets added that the report found 15% of farm murder victims were also tortured.

“There was not a single year in which torture did not occur,” he said.

Researcher at AfriForum, Johan Nortje said this is extremely concerning and warrants urgent attention.

Nortje said in 2020 the percentage of murder victims who were tortured was 24%.

“This shows that farm attacks are not just ordinary crime and it should be prioritised,” he said.

The report found that Gauteng had the highest number of farm murders, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with the second-highest incidents reported. The Northern Cape recorded the lowest number of incidents.

Contrary to popular belief, more than 50% of farm murders took place on farms, and not smallholdings, with shootings reported to b the leading cause of death at 52%.

Nortje said the average age of the victims targeted was 57 years old, with more males murdered than females.

“When reviewing the recorded murders, the most noteworthy is the decrease of 27% in farm murders from 2018 to 2019, and an increase of 40% from 2019 to 2020,” he said.

45 murders were recorded in 2019, but this jumped to 63 murders in 2020, and 53 murders in 2021.

Nortje said the concern was there was no steady decline in the numbers of attacks or farm murders. 

marizkac@citizen.co.za