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SA FARM ATTACKS 17th October 2002 Johannesburg. The South African police have acknowledged that they are aware of certain Zimbabwean elements, actively trying to make contact with selected South African groupings, with its main aim being that of commencing land occupations in South Africa. This was stated by Assistant Commissioner Johan Burger, chairman of the police's Priority-Committee dealing with rural safety and security, during a seminar dealing with farm-attacks at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS). According to him, the police have been successful in collecting information about the South African and Zimbabwean groupings wishing to start these farm and land invasions. Despite the assurances from the South African Government, farm attacks have shown a steady escalation. In 1997 a total of 433 attacks occurred. Subsequent statistics show that it rose to 769 in 1988 and 830 in 1999 respectively. Mr Hendri Boshoff, a security analyst from the ISS confirmed that this figure rose to over 900 in the year 2000 and a record of more than 1000 attacks were reported during the year 2001. Midway through 2002 the number of attacks stand at over 600. Attacks in areas such as Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Western Cape and North West Province, were increasing. The figures in the Free State and Kwazulu Natal have eased slightly. Marietie Louw - Translated from Die Burger (SA) |
