3 days ago
War of words between AfriForum and Steenhuisen over farm murders
AfriForum's community safety spokesperson Jacques Broodryk has criticised Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen.
Image: afriforum
A heated exchange has erupted between AfriForum's Jacques Broodryk and DA leader John Steenhuisen over the prioritisation of farm attacks and murders.
Last month President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with some of his cabinet ministers, including Steenhuisen who is Minister of Agriculture, visited US president Donald Trump in Washington to fend off false claims of white genocide in South Africa.
However, Trump ambushed the group with videos and articles to prove that white farmers were being targeted for their land.
Steenhuisen, speaking at that meeting, reiterated that he was working with the police ministry to curb farm killings in the country.
'As the Minister of Agriculture it is something that I am particularly exercised with my colleagues at police and my colleagues in the justice cluster to stop, making farm attacks and stock theft a priority crime. And it affects all farmers in South Africa,' Steenhuisen said at the Oval office.
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The controversy stems from Steenhuisen's recent statements in the US, where he emphasised the need to declare farm attacks and stock theft priority crimes.
According to Broodryk, Steenhuisen's words are nothing more than empty promises, and it's time for him to take concrete action.
"It is unfortunate that it took a humiliating meeting with the leader of the US for the Minister of Agriculture to come to his senses and finally admit that farm attacks and murders should be declared a priority crime," Broodryk wrote in a statement.
"This is despite the issue being ignored until now."
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen hits back at Afriforum over farm murders.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
Broodryk's sentiments are rooted in AfriForum's long-standing call for farm attacks to be prioritised, a plea they consider to have fallen on deaf ears.
The organisation's research reveals that more than 95% of all farm attack and murder incidents remain unsolved, with convictions made in only 66 cases out of 1,402 incidents recorded between 2019 and 2022.
According to Broodryk the crux of the issue lies in the government's refusal to prioritise farm attacks, despite the severity and frequency of these crimes.
Broodryk contends that other crimes, such as rhino poaching and cash-in-transit heists, have been given priority status, while farm attacks are neglected.
"While rhino poaching is considered a priority crime and political murders receive special attention through dedicated task teams, farm attacks do not receive the same treatment," he said.
"Clearly, politicians' lives are considered much more important than those of our farmers."
In contrast, Steenhuisen claims that his office has been working with the Minister of Police's office to address farm attacks.
"There has been collaboration between my office and the Minister of Police's office, including a joint parliamentary portfolio committee meeting between Agriculture and Police," Steenhuisen said.
He also said he highlighted the issue of farm attacks in his speech during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) months before his Washington visit.
Steenhuisen fired back at Broodryk, saying that he had been working behind the scenes to address farm attacks and that AfriForum's accusations were unfounded.
"It is simply not true that I first raised this issue in the Oval Office," Steenhuisen said.
"If the gentleman concerned had taken time to meet with me before shooting from the hip, I could have told him of the numerous interventions that have taken place and are yet to take place."
