Agriculture
International community hears about SA farm attacks─── SABRINA DEAN 18:49 Fri, 06 May 2016
Bloemfontein -The issue of farm attacks in South Africa has been shared with the international community following an address by Agri SA Executive Director Omri van Zyl to the World Farmers Organisation General Assembly meeting in Zambia on Thursday.
Agri SA said in a statement Van Zyl shared statistics with delegates from the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, revealing that there have been more than 8000 farm attacks and nearly 1000 murders over the last fifteen years. Van Zyl said this is clearly an unacceptable statistic in any part of the world.
Meanwhile, back at home, more than a thousand farmers and police recently took hands in the first blue/white operation in the Free State for 2016. Free State Agriculture (FSA) said in a statement this forms part of the rural safety strategy.
The operation on the last Thursday of April saw a total of 731 farmers and 386 police officers focusing on crime in rural areas from 6pm until midnight. FSA’s Tommie Esterhuyse says they have very good relations with the police and also believe it is necessary for the farming community to be part of the solution.
Sabrina Dean/OFM News