The Inkatha Freedom Party has once again called on the government to step up efforts to fight farm murders.
The plea comes in the wake of a triple farm murder at Bishopstowe near Pietermaritzburg this week.
Two suspects were arrested and are due in court on Thursday for the murders of Daniel Debruin (58), his wife Glynis (60) and 84-year-old Collin DeBruin, apparently following an earlier labour dispute.
IFP MPL, Nhlanhla Msimango, said the ongoing spate of farm murders, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, continue to exact an unacceptable toll.
“Government and the SAPS pay visits to these often violent scenes and have made commitment upon commitment to allocate additional resources and manpower to counteract this scourge, yet we continue to receive reports of farm attacks,” he said.
Msimango said the inability of the government to deal decisively with farm murders could leave the farming community convinced that there is an organised campaign to purge them from the land, or an attempt to exact racial revenge for the wrongs committed during the days of apartheid.
“We urgently appeal to the government, and especially the police, to acknowledge the importance of the safety of people in the rural areas, and specifically, the protection of farm owners and employees,” he said.
