LOUIS TRICHARDT – Concern is mounting among the local farming community over government's continuous reluctance to live up to its most basic constitutional obligation, namely to protect them against a growing amount of intimidation and victimisation.

In many instances the South African Police Service is singled out as one of the main perpetrators in regard to effective policing on farms. Losses incurred due to an increasing rate of illegal hunting already run into millions over the last couple of years and it would seem as if farmers are fighting a losing battle to stop this trade.

It is argued that the reason for this is that farmers stand alone in their efforts to stop illegal hunters from illegally entering their farms, with little or no help from the police. Over the last couple of months numerous high level talks between senior government officials and farmer unions in the region have amounted to nothing with no firm commitment from government to address the issue. Many farmers now say that all they are getting from government is "lip service".

Mr Tobie Steenkamp of the farm Schaaphoek near Bandelierkop is but one of many local farmers who play victim to both the police's reluctance to assist him and the continuous intimidation and victimisation by illegal hunters. Since the beginning of the year he had lost close to a hundred cattle, excluding game losses. In the most recent incident he lost thirty cattle due to amongst others poisoning. Of the thirty cases reported to the police since April this year, at amongst others to the SAPS at Bandelierkop, none have been resolved and many were merely closed. The cases relate to illegal hunting, stock theft, theft of fencing, theft of household items, theft of water pipes, malicious damage to property, poisoning and two cases of attempted murder. In one of the last two cases mentioned an illegal hunter tried to stab Mr Steenkamp with a homemade spear.

Mr Steenkamp said that in many of the cases, names of possible suspects were given to the police at Bandelierkop. In one instance he was asked if he actually saw the suspect and upon replying that he had not, the police told him that his information was worth nothing. In another instance, when Mr Steenkamp was attacked, a police officer at Bandelierkop told him that he must phone the police as soon as he himself caught the suspects. With reference to the above Mr Steenkamp phoned the police on one occasion to inform them that a group of illegal hunters were at that very moment busy removing illegally poached meat from the farm. This was on a Tuesday; the police only arrived about a week later on a Sunday.

Mr Steenkamp said that he last week reached breaking point when he found a message written in sand on his farm, stating: "Kill u next time". He said that it is getting increasingly harder not to take the law into one's own hands, but that he is starting to see no other option. Other farmers in the region also echoed his view. Mr Steenkamp added that following last week's incident, he faxed several letters outlining his problems to the police commissioner in Pretoria, but to date he has received no reply or even a phone call. As the festive season approaches, a season during which illegal hunting normally increases, he as well as many other farmers are staring a bleak future in the face.