More calls for rural security to be upped

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Parliamentary farm attack debate will not happenThe recent spate of farm attacks and murders has apparently not been sufficient to galvanise Parliament into action with a request for a debate being turned down by National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete.

The request was submitted by Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader, Dr Pieter Groenewald who made it in the light of statistics showing a farm attack took place “just about every day in South Africa” and a farmer was murdered “nearly every four days”.

A meeting last year between Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, and Centurion-headquartered civil society organisation, AfriForum, saw farm attacks and murders uprated to that of priority crimes.

A police statement issued last May said incidents of crime and violence on farms and smallholdings have been identified as an emerging priority in the 2016/17 financial year.

Groenewald said in a statement the speaker informed him “attacks on farmers are a serious issue, but that does not justify an immediate debate”.

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