Cameron stated that, last year, there were over 432 farm attacks and 54 farm murders. Gauteng is the province with the highest reported figures on these crimes, having 116 reported farm attacks. The Northern Cape, on the other hand, had the lowest figures on these crimes, having reported only 14 farm attacks. Cameron also reported that torture in farm attacks in the province, which is an unusual occurrence in other provinces, is on the rise.

“I believe that the Northern Cape is seeing an increase. We have seen several cases of torture in the Northern Cape. In one specific incident, one farmer had weed killer and poison sprayed in his eyes after being beaten with a shovel. He died a few weeks later from his injuries,” Cameron said.

OFM News sent questions to agricultural association group, AgriSA, as well as the South African Police Services, for comment on these figures Afriforum provided. This as the association and the police differed last year on the 2017 figures which were provided by Afriforum. While the two entities agreed with the civil rights group on the fact that farm attacks in the country have risen, they disagreed on statements Afriforum made which suggested farm murders were also on the rise. Both the police and the association asserted that farm murders reached a 20-year low in 2017/2018 as only 47 murders were reported compared to the 153 reported during the 1997/1998 financial year. By the time this article was published, OFM News had not yet received a response on Afriforum’s reported figures. An article will follow based on these responses.

OFM News