AfriForum declares annual farm attack day of remembrance
· Citizen
An annual day to remember the victims of farm attacks has been pronounced by AfriForum.
The inaugural memorial day dedicated to the deceased and the families affected by farm attacks is to be observed on 1 December.
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AfriForum are hoping to have the day commemorated worldwide, stating it would call on international allies to show global solidarity.
The day will encourage the wearing of white clothing or a small white cross on the lapel of a shirt or jacket, and will feature a moment of silence at 12pm.
“Going forward, this day will be dedicated annually to commemorating the victims of farm murders and farm attacks, supporting their surviving loved ones and drawing international attention to the ongoing violence against rural communities in South Africa,” AfriForum stated earlier this week.
‘About remembering their names’
AfriForum chose the date to honour the memory of Wilmien Potgieter, a two-year-old girl who was murdered in 2010 during a farm attack in the Free State.
Wilmien’s father Attie was killed using a garden fork and panga, while her and mother Wilna were shot dead in their home.
“Her life was cruelly cut short before it had truly begun. Her death – and that of numerous other victims of farm murders – must never be forgotten or reduced to mere statistics.
“This day is about remembering their names and lives and bringing the reality of farm violence to the attention of South Africans and the international community alike,” stated AfriForum’s community safety spokesperson Jacques Broodryk.
AfriForum have long sought to have farm murders declared a priority crime, noting the brutality of the murders went beyond South Africa’s high-level of crimes.
The most recent farm attacks involved two victims who were tortured and maimed in separate incidents in the North West.
Ventersburg farmer Donovan Marx survived being shot, stabbed and having his ears severed during an attack on 28 October.
Five men were arrested and four appeared in court last week, with the fifth turning state witness.
Four days after the attack on Marx, Les and Natasha Brett were attacked on their farm near Hartbeespoort, with the Pretoria Rekord reporting the couple were stripped naked, beaten, and burned with boiling water.
The attackers allegedly demanded the keys to the couple’s safe, threatening the wife with rape and the mutilation of her breasts if the demands were not met.
Broodryk asked those who were sympathetic to the cause to join AfriForum in remembrance on 1 December.
“This is about every life lost in a farm murder, every person who has survived a farm attack and every family still living with the trauma and loss,” he stated.
‘Freedom of association’
AfriForum stated its intention to take the matter international, a course of action previously derided by those who consider farm attacks to be a facet of high crime levels in South Africa.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) was recently asked via a written parliamentary question about local organisations collaborating with foreign allies, with specific reference to AfriForum.
Dirco said it was concerned about organisations whose “representations create a distorted picture” of South Africa.
“Such representations have the potential to negatively affect perceptions of South Africa among international partners, investors and the broader international community,” Dirco responded.
The department was asked if any legal intervention against AfriForum and similar bodies was possibly, but conceded that organisations were free to court international attention as long as it was done legally.
“Legal action cannot be instituted merely because an individual or organisation criticises the government or expresses views abroad with which government disagrees.
“The Constitution protects fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of association.
“Government remains committed to presenting South Africa’s positions and policies consistently and factually, safeguarding the country’s international reputation, and respecting South Africans’ constitutional right to express their views,” Dirco stated.