This is according to an analysis by the civil rights organisation, AfriForum, that was disclosed during a media conference in Centurion. The analysis concluded there were 54 murders on farms and about 432 attacks on farms in the country last year. The organisations' Ian Cameron, says even though the problem is worsening there is an indication that communities are improving their own safety responsibility.

Farmers in the Eastern Cape are urged to not yet put down their pitchforks, despite the triple financial threat they face. This is according to Agri Eastern Cape president, Doug Stern, who says the main challenge facing local farmers is the on-going drought which is now in its fifth year. Stern says stock farmers have had a major blow to their cash flow.He says veld fires and land expropriation without compensation are also major issues, but farmers need to keep working to ensure that jobs in this sector are not lost. According to Agri SA's recent drought report, the situation in the Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Eastern Cape, is severe - with a very low rainfall status. 

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Various sheep by-products and carcasses were confiscated by police in the Bloemspruit area at Bloemfontein. Police spokesperson, Ikobeng Hlubi, says police members acted swiftly to a stock theft incident at Phase 6 in Mangaung, on Monday, which led to the arrest of six suspects. Hlubi says whilst the Bloemspruit team was busy at the crime scene, police's crime intelligence members followed information which led to the arrest of two more suspects in the Kopanong area. They were found in possession of four sheep carcasses to the value of about R29 000. 

OFM News/Christal-Lize Muller