Would a Commission of Inquiry help solve farm murder crisis in SA?

A prominent businesswoman from Limpopo and her family member were set alight in yet another gruesome farm murder.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will write to President Cyril Ramaphosa to request the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into farm murders.

This comes as five people were murdered last weekend in different farms. In one incident, a prominent business woman in Limpopo and a family member were set alight while they were still alive.

DA PROPOSES A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO FARM MURDER CRISIS

The DA said it is gravely concerned about the rising number of farm murders in South Africa  which further underscores the urgent need for effective action to address this issue.

The party said it is deeply troubling that there have been a total of five farm murders this past weekend alone.

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DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Noko Masipa said they cannot stand idly by as the farming communities live in constant fear for their lives and face the devastation of losing loved ones. These farm murders threaten the country’s food security.

Masipa said Bheki Cele and the South African Police Service (SAPS) are clearly failing people in rural areas despite an existing rural safety plan.

“Considering these alarming incidents and in line with our Congress Resolution that was adopted with a resounding majority, the Democratic Alliance will write to the President to request the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into farm murders. This independent inquiry will allow for a thorough investigation into the underlying causes of these crimes and provide recommendations for comprehensive measures to safeguard our farming communities,” Masipa said.

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AFIRFORUM RELEASES REPORT ON FARM ATTACKS

In March this year, AfriForum released its annual farm murder report for 2022.

The organisation said it was able to verify 333 farm attacks and 50 farm murders but noted that the number of attacks could be much higher because of the underreporting of crime to the SAPS.

According to the report the Gauteng province experienced the most attacks for the period under review – almost double the number of attacks compared to the North West, which had the second highest number of attacks.

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