FLASHBACK TO 2001 FARM ATTACK STATISTICS BY AGRI-SOUTH AFRICA
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More than 1,000 people died in farm attacks from Jan 1991 to Jul 2001: Agri SA
http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.nl/2003/12/crime-busters-of-sa-2001-2003-farm.html
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August07, 2001 Since 1991 more than a thousand people, mostly commercial farmers, have died in 5,594 attacks on farms, Agri South Africa said today. The statistics were released by Annelize Crosby, Agri SA director of legal and management services, who said they would form part of a submission on behalf of farmers to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
Agri SA, which represents about 45,000 commercial farmers and 35,000 emerging farmers, was in the process of compiling a submission on what farmers perceived to be human rights abuses against them.
Cross said the security issue, apart from land rights, was the single most important issue for commercial farmers.
Farmers increasingly felt their basic human rights, as guaranteed in the Constitution, were being ignored by government.
Yesterday the Democratic Alliance said a lack of security on farms has resulted in South African farmers now living in "a continuous state of terror".
Human Rights Commission recently launched national investigationThe SAHRC recently launched a national year long project to investigate human rights abuses on farms under the banners of land rights and tenancy, safety and security and social and economic rights. The commission has asked for submissions from farmers and farm workers alike. Crosby said a submission, made on behalf of the federation's affiliated agricultural unions, would be finished by the end of the week. "We will make a written submission and most probably also a verbal submission. The material used for our submission will be made available to all our members. We have also called on individual farmers to make submissions to the commission," Crosby said.
The security issue moved back under the spotlight this week when Johan Stapelberg, 40, and his brother-in-law Hendrik Johannes Uys, 35, were killed during an attack on a farm near Boons in the North West Province on Saturday.
The two had reacted to an emergency call from a neighbour. Two days later two more farmers were injured during attacks. Attacks cannot be tolerated says Transvaal Agricultural Union.
The Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) today said the escalating flood of attacks and barbarism aimed at South African farmers had reached a level at which it could no longer be tolerated.
Gert Ehlers, TAU President, said the politicians' silence on the issue only sanctioned these attacks and the state was failing dismally to ensure the rights of the country's people to live in a safe and secure environment.
"If the government cannot or will not fulfil this responsibility, they should come out and say so," Ehlers said.
ecorded attacks over past ten years:
According Agri SA statistics farm attacks had increased dramatically since 1998 and the escalation showed no signs of slackening off.
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1991 there had been 327 attacks and 66 murders,
1992; 365 attacks and 63 murders,
1993; 442 attacks and 84 murders,
1994; 443 attacks and 92 murders, in 1995; 551 attacks and 120 murders,
1996; 486 attacks and 109 murders, i
1997; 433 attacks and 85 murders,
1998; 769 attacks and 142 murders, in 1999;
2000 813 attacks and 144 murders and in
2001; 902 attacks and 142 murders.
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Illegal occupations to be raised
In addition to expressing concern over safety and security, Cross said Agri SA would also make a submission on the land rights issue.
The federation recently stated that current legislation rendered landowners helpless against large scale illegal squatting.
The Prevention of Illegal Evictions Act afforded more protection to illegal occupiers than to land owners.
East Rand farmer Braam Duvenhage earlier this month attempted to remove about 40,000 illegal occupants from his property at Modderklip near Daveyton after obtaining a court order for the eviction of the squatters on his land in May last year.
However, the local bailiff refused to remove them before the cost of eviction, amounting to R1,8 million, had been paid. Agri SA has called on government to review the current legislation to pre-empt more land invasions. The federation will also make submissions on other matters which affect farmers and farm workers. These include the deterioration of rural roads, farm schools, a lack of housing and unemployment in rural areas. - Sapa
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http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.nl/2003/12/crime-busters-of-sa-2001-2003-farm.html
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the original URL for the above story at that time was located on: http://www.sabcnews.co.za/south_africa/crime1justice/0,1009,18954,00.html
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