Mooi River Farm Murder: DA Calls for Emergency Joint Meeting

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) says it is deeply disturbed by the confirmation of yet another farm murder in the province – this time in the Rosetta area, near Mooi River.

The incident, which took place during the early hours of this morning, saw a farmer shot dead and another person tied up, according to Chris Pappas MPL – DA KZN Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development.

A number of possessions were stolen, including their vehicle which was later found abandoned, he said.

Pappas said in a statement Tuesday: “The scourge of crime in our rural areas – and in particular the brutal attacks on farming communities – is out of control. Despite this, KZN Agriculture MEC, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi continues to ignore the daily challenges being faced by these communities.

“The DA has written to both the MEC and the Chairperson of KZN’s Agriculture portfolio committee on four different occasions, to request an urgent meeting to address the specific issue of rural safety. To date, we have received no response whatsoever.”

Pappas said the DA has a number of suggestions on how to improve safety in rural areas.

He said the DA has now again written to the MEC today, calling for an urgent joint meeting between the province’s Agriculture and Community Safety portfolio committees.

“We expect both she and the Chairperson respond within 24 hours of receiving the request. The DA will embark on a programme to engage with and mobilize farming communities and sector role players to find alternative ways to address this problem head-on.”