A social media platform has been abuzz following last week’s revelation by an international media personality about farm attacks in South Africa, afterwards resulting in posts referencing an earlier report by Polokwane Observer about research conducted in the province.
It comes in the wake of a tweet attributed to British journalist Katie Hopkins, who reportedly posted that she would have received confirmation from an officer in the South African Police Service about the Police being actively involved in the slaughter of white farmers in South Africa.
In reaction to the tweet, response to her post on the platform directed attention to the story on observer.co.za of 2 November 2017 that dealt with research conducted by Cristopher Gumbi of the University of Limpopo (UL). Comment suggested that the claims could definitely be corroborated by his research.
The story, titled “Farm attacks – an evil within”, referred to Gumbi alluding to the fact that, among others, highly trained hit squads allegedly used children to secure intelligence in farm attacks and that some of the victims believed that their attackers were a mix of South African and Zimbabwean nationals with military training. In his research report of 117 pages re-visiting incidents in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga over a ten-year period ending in 2015, he mentioned a victim who shared information about well-planned criminal operations allegedly involving Police, public prosecutors, judges, magistrates and high ranking officials of government.
In the meantime Gumbi has compiled two papers stemming from his thesis for intended publication in the Criminological and Victimological Society of South Africa (Crimsa) journal, Acta Criminologica later this year. He explained that the first paper, co-authored by UL Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice lecturer Cornelis Roelofse, elaborated on security risk factors of farm attacks. The other paper is still being finalised in terms of technicalities and focusses on motivational factors for farm attacks, it was learnt.
For purposes of research for the paper on security risk factors of farm attacks, victims between the ages of 30 an 90 years were interviewed. Based on 78,26% of the victims having been between 51 and 90 years of age, the inference was drawn that, theoretically and based on the data, the age of victims might have played a role in target selection.
The two researchers addressed security design of farmsteads and said some of the respondents had stated that they felt targeted irrespective of the good security measures in place.
They remarked that “Farm attacks cannot be prevented, but can only be controlled to a certain extent. The control mechanisms that must be put in place will include improved police visibility around (the) farms and improved reaction time during and after the attack. The farm watch system needs to be incorporated into the South African Police Service rural safety strategy to serve as an immediate response task team during farm attacks. The farm watch groups are a replica of the old commando system that protected farms prior to (their) its disbandment by the Thabo Mbeki administration. The researchers strongly believe that such successfully tried and tested institutional knowledge should have been retained and not invalidated.”
They continue to state that “Finally, farm attacks should be considered a priority crime by the South African government and harsher sentences must be imposed by the courts on perpetrators; this will serve as a form of deterrence to those thinking about committing such a crime.
“This article has proven that the farming community is left vulnerable and mostly has to seek their own avenues for safety. Attacks seem to be well planned with intelligence gathering, hit squads and getaway vehicles. The attacks are probably planned elsewhere as hit squads come from areas far away from the actual target. The remoteness of farms, availability of weapons, cash and valuable items make farms attractive targets. The fact that farms are located in remote areas and reaction times are relatively long, (it) provide(s) attackers with(in) ample time to execute the attacks.”
On the weekend South African First party founder and leader Mario Khumalo approached Polokwane Observer to share his views on farm killings and concern about the absence of national measures to monitor such violations against fellow-countrymen. In a follow-up phone interview, he referred to a pending High Court case brought against the Department of Home Affairs and Home Affairs Minister Ayanda Dlodlo by the party seeking the reversal of special permission granting nationals from Zimbabwe, Lesotho and any other country, who were perceived to be contravening the Immigration Act of South Africa, to reside, work, study and do business in the country. Khumalo suggested a highly comprehensive immigrant policy, recommending the closing of borders, mass deportation of illegal immigrants and strict vetting as a solution to the challenges relating to farm attacks allegedly orchestrated by Zimbabwean nationals, such as sparking tension among cultures and race relations collapsing in South Africa.
To a question about South Africans claiming to be offering a safe haven to nationals of countries on the African continent in return for hosting its citizens in exile during the apartheid period, Khumalo responded saying only Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania and Zambia have harboured South Africans, an estimated 100 000 that made for 0,1% of the population at the time but that they were still subjected to certain conditions and restrictions, while Mozambique did so only temporarily. “Today the entire continent is coming to South Africa, claiming they helped us.” He raised the opinion that black and white South Africans wanted to be united, but the narrative of politicians aimed to divide and conquer.
He indicated that the influx of foreign nationals into the country had a negative and direct impact on South Africans. They were not only affected by crime, but their culture and traditions as well as religious beliefs were being tampered with, he pointed out.
He stressed that the human rights of South Africans were being violated while foreigners were running amok in the country, children dying drug-related deaths on the streets of South African cities, notorious Zama-Zama gangsters committing cross-border crimes, human trafficking being rife, land being illegally occupied by foreigners and Nigerians allegedly turning abodes into brothels. South Africa’s resources were simultaneously being drained, he said and added that no party was talking about it as silence was maintained.
Khumalo spoke of frustration among South Africans about a situation he likened to a ticking time bomb.
His political party was not xenophobic but just patriotic, he emphasised. According to Khumalo they were equally perturbed by the xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the country, which started emerging in 2008. They didn’t condone violence and didn’t take issues to the streets, he said. “Things can be challenged but let’s be smart about it.”
He concluded saying that the party, established in December 2016, would be contesting in next year’s elections and was currently building on its Limpopo membership, as was the intention in the rest of the country.
Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
