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As part of its nationwide campaign to address farmers’ challenges, the National Emergent Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (Nerpo) visited emerging livestock producers in the North West. The group managing director of Nerpo, Aggrey Mahanjana, says concerns such as stock theft and the Covid-19 Agricultural Disaster Support Fund were some of the pressing issues farmers raised. Mahanjana says it seems that the police in the North West are not winning the battle with stock theft, as farmers are still being plagued by this crime. Mahanjana says farmers are constantly seeking government intervention and therefore the organisation is availing itself to engage directly with farming communities and to provide tangible solutions where possible. 

Die Vrystaatse LUR vir Landbou, William Bulwane, het die sinnelose moorde veroordeel op drie boere wat die afgelope weke in afsonderlike voorvalle in die Vrystaat aangeval en vermoor is. Bulwane meen dat plaasmoorde voedselsekerheid bedreig en diegene wat van dieselfde boere afhanklik is vir werk, kwesbaar laat. Bulwane het alle belanghebbendes versoek om hande te vat om teen dié misdaad te veg. Dit kom nadat 'n 56-jarige boer, Pieter Hills, onlangs dood op sy plaas in Swartpan by Hennenman aangetref is, terwyl sy 26-jarige seun, Eddie, met beserings ontsnap het nadat hy deur die verdagtes in sy bors gesteek is. Hy is later in die hospitaal oorlede. In 'n ander voorval het 'n 37-jarige boer in Odendaalsrus, Tebogo Machakela, wat in Augustus vanjaar wreed deur 'n groep aanvallers op sy plaas aangeval en geskiet is, verlede week aan sy beserings beswyk. In die derde geval is 'n 60-jarige boer, Dave Wessels, van Viljoenskroon verlede maand dood in sy slaapkamer aangetref ná 'n rooftog. Bulwane betuig sy innige meegevoel met die families van die oorledenes. Intussen is nog ‘n Vrystaatse boer, Mark Regal, Woensdagaand op die Thelma-plaas buite Odendaalsrus deur ‘n verdagte doodgeskiet. Tydens die samestelling van hierdie bulletin was niemand al in hegtenis geneem nie.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development has thus far received about 5 838 online applications for agricultural state land. This is according to Minister Thoko Didiza, who stated that these applications include those of cooperatives as well as individual farmers. Didiza spoke during a media briefing on Tuesday where she announced progress made regarding the release of available state land for agricultural purposes. The briefing comes after Didiza announced the availability of 896 farms - measuring more than 529 000 hectares - for residents in seven provinces. The Free State was allocated 8 333 hectares of state land, while the Northern Cape was allocated 12 224 hectares. The North West province received the most, as 300 000 hectares of land were allocated to this province. The closing date for applications is 16 November.

Die polisie in die Vrystaat sê veediefstalsake sal geprioritiseer word in die provinsie. Dit is volgens die provinsiale polisiekommissaris, Baile Motswenyane, wat Donderdag tydens 'n ministeriële landelike veiligheid Imbizo in Bethlehem gepraat het. Motswenyane sê 'n taakspan sal aangestel word om bewerings oor veediefstal te ondersoek, wat die polisie se betrokkenheid by veediefstal beweer. Sy sê 'n vergadering is op 19 Oktober 2020 aangevra nadat verskeie bewerings oor die polisie se betrokkenheid by veediefstal in die Senekal-, Paul Roux- en Bethlehem-distrikte geopper is tydens 'n vergadering met Minister Bheki Cele op 13 Oktober vanjaar. Diegene wat hierdie vergadering bygewoon het, sluit onder meer Vrystaat Landbou (VL), die Departement van Binnelandse Sake, en die Departement van Landbou in.

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