Parliament, Saturday, 14 September 2024 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, expressed concern over the abhorrent actions of criminals in the Goldfields area in the Free State that saw the mutilation of cattle affecting farming in the area. The barbaric action not only robs the farmers of future production but feeds into the systematic criminality in the area, as it is suspected that the slaughtering happened to obtain meat for illegal miners.
“Crime is systematic, and to reverse its negative impact, the South African Police Service must have a focused approach to reverse this. If the scourge of illegal mining is defeated, there will be no market for the slaughter witnessed in the Goldfields area,” Mr Cameron said.
The recent fourth quarter of 2023/24 and the first quarter of the 2024/25 crime statistics reveal a worrying increase in stock theft, which can hinder agricultural productivity, a critical pillar of the South African economy. In a country struggling with a high unemployment rate and poverty, the increase in stock theft negatively affects emerging and small farming businesses. In the fourth quarter, there were 6 228 cases of stock theft, an increase of 5.5% compared to the same period last year. Between April and June 2024, there were 6 321 cases of stock theft, an increase of 0.4%.
The Chairperson stressed that the police must improve their rural policing strategy as an intervention. He also stressed the need to work closer with Community Police Forums and private security firms. The SAPS must also find solutions, especially against those that provide a market for stolen goods.
“The debilitating impact on small-scale farmers trying to earn a living through farming is unimaginable. In many cases, they don’t have the resources to augment such losses,” said Mr Cameron.
The Chairperson also flagged the risk associated with stock theft as it can threaten the safety of the farmers and farm workers. “The risk posed to life as a result of such criminality in the rural and farming areas is a concern, especially in the context of the ten murders in the farming community in the past quarter alone,” he said.
The Chairperson called on rural communities to collaborate with the SAPS and establish community forums to jointly find solutions and share information about any acts of criminality.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON
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