‘SA on brink of a catastrophe’, as youngsters fear entering farming profession

“It doesn’t just happen to one person. Farm attacks have an impact on the entire agricultural community. Statistically, they say it’s race-driven. But a farmer is a farmer.”

Louis Meintjies, a former president of the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU), sat sipping cold coffee on his farm in Cullinan, north of Pretoria, while calmly laying out the safety routine he and his wife Erika follow every night.

Meintjies is significant in his community. He is one of the few plot owners left who refuses to leave.

He has also been a first responder to many attacks in the area. One of his neighbours died in his arms. Another woman, who lost her husband, was raped and attacked on her farm. Meintjies found her underwear in nearby bushes. Another incident saw a friend of his tortured and murdered for a pair of sneakers, an alarm clock and a wallet.

Meinjties, too, has been attacked. The bullet hole, now covered with paint, still etched in his living room wall, is a haunting reminder of how his home was once the scene of a traumatic near brush with death.

Louis Meintjes, former President of TLU SA, stands in the doorway to his bedroom where he was when intruders came into his house during a break-in, 15 September 2020, Cullinan. Picture: Jacques Nelles

“People mustn’t say a farmer is a negative person. I say this is going to be a good harvest every year, in faith. But that’s part of a farmer’s character in South Africa. You can’t farm during the day and look after your own safety at night.”

By 5pm, they lock up. Meintjies sleeps with a pistol next to his bed. His bedroom has a security gate, and he has installed alarms, cameras and beams at an estimated cost of over R70,000 – funds most farmers and plot owners do not have.

Meintjies, like many plot owners, also has access to a two-way radio system, with more than 100 community members and community policing forums (CPF) tuned in.

Relying on a CPF alone is not the solution for Meintjies, who said getting more reservists to react – and hiring farm guards – is key to quelling the severe attacks.

“We have a rural safety plan that is a good plan, but can only work if police help.” Meintjies said there are roughly 900,000 workers in the agricultural sector, each of which has five to six dependents. This means at least five million people are dependent on the industry.

Although only 3% of South Africa’s land is considered fertile, the agricultural industry has several sectors. At the rate that plots and farms belonging to commercial and emerging farmers are being attacked, food demand could soon outstrip supply.

Young people loathe to enter the industry

Louis Meintjes, former President of TLU SA, among his vegetables that he farms, 15 September 2020, Cullinan. Picture: Jacques Nelles

And there is concern that the attacks could drive younger farming generations out of the industry entirely. Stats SA’s March 2020 commercial agriculture census estimated that there are 40,122 commercial farms or units.

Police estimate there are about 87,000 farms and smallholdings in SA, of which 33,000 are commercial farms. The lower number of farms is in Gauteng (2 291, or 5.7% of the country’s farm land).

Despite this, the most farm attacks and murders are consistently taking place in the province. This year alone, Gauteng has recorded 44 farm murders and 288 attacks, according to TAU’s latest data.

This accounts for 30% of farm attacks in the country, and 19% of the total farm murders, according to AfriForum.

Keeping youth interested in farming has proved difficult, said University of Pretoria criminology and social work professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

“In short, the farming industry is a very dangerous career choice to make in SA.”

He said farms have decreased by almost 50% since the 2000s and that most of the youth do not want to live in rural areas.

“Farming is a scarce skill and food security is a huge challenge,” Bezuidenhout said.

Life is never the same after surviving an attack

Louis Meintjes, former President of TLU SA, points out areas where farm attacks and murders have taken place on a map of the Cullinan area, 15 September 2020. Picture: Jacques Nelles

“When attack victims survive, they usually take their wife and kids and flock to security complexes in the city. Farm security is more expensive. And the average time it takes for a farmer who has been attacked to continue farming is about five years, from pre- to post-attack.

“Why would a young person want to farm if it’s so dangerous? These days, it’s more dangerous to be a farmer than a policeman.”

Bezuidenhout said, in his opinion, the country is “on the brink of a catastrophe”.

Educational psychologist Tanya van der Walt said: “We can see by looking at South Africa’s history that there are still people who have never been able to come to terms with the violence and death inflicted on their family members. The cycle appears to be repeating itself.”

Van der Walt said children could be affected scholastically, or may begin to exhibit either aggressive or withdrawn behaviour, and anxiety.

She agreed “any situation where there are constant threats will dissuade future generations from becoming involved in certain ventures”.

“As seen in many war victims and other survivors of prolonged trauma, complete recovery is not simple, nor rapid,” said a TAU report.

“Farm attacks are unique and deserve to be treated in their own crime category. This is mainly because of the frequency of attacks, unique levels of brutality, the role of farmers in the community and the unique circumstances farmers find themselves in.

“Rural communities are considered soft targets.”

– nicas@citizen.co.za

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