Rural safety, and in particular the Firearm Control Act (FCA), received attention at the highest possible level last week, when president Thabo Mbeki was personally informed about serious flaws in the present state of affairs by a senior deputation of TAU SA. The president was formally requested to reconsider the FCA.

The meeting of the Presidential Commercial Agriculture Working Group at Tuynhuys in Cape Town took place on Tuesday, May 20.

The Chairperson of the TAU SA’s national committee on safety and security, Mr Gideon Meiring, on behalf of various stakeholders, including AgriSA, SAGA and the Black Gunowners Association, handed a memorandum as a discussion document to president Mbeki, after informing him personally of serious flaws and deficiencies, and serving the president with recommendations to remedy the situation.

Meiring informed Mbeki that, statistically, no other economic activity beyond security services is as dangerous as being a farmer in South Africa. Latest police statistics indicate an increase of almost 25% in farm attacks, which, apart from the disruptive human trauma, together with robbery and theft, have a devastating effect on the sustainability of agricultural production, food prices and general food security in the country. He said farmers were making a crucial contribution to provide food and fibre to the country under very difficult circumstances. As such, they deserve protection and support as an irreplaceable national asset.

He emphasized that the FCA should be reconsidered. Since its inception, the FCA has contributed to a growing perception that law-abiding citizens legally in possession of firearms are being disarmed. The level of non-compliance with the Act seems to be in excess of 75% and it is imperative that a more practical approach by the authorities be adopted. To speed up the process, it is recommended that, provided that competency of licence holders (inclusive of safekeeping) is proven and on condition that the required proficiency is shown, all existing licenses should be recognized. First-time applicants should comply with the act as prescribed. The present process should, however, rather be considered to be a national audit of firearms legally in possession of licensed owners. Renewals should be processed without the lengthy, time-consuming motivation. The farming community cannot be subjected to the high levels of violent crime executed by criminals armed with automatic and semi-automatic firearms.

"Irrespective of the trauma caused to families, friends, neighbours and communities, the economic impact on the agricultural sector, job security and ultimately food security is far-reaching," Meiring said with regard to farm attacks. In some cases, production was severely affected and as many as eight years passed before the pre-murder levels of productivity were regained.

Robbery and theft of moveable property from farms is now in excess of R1,2 billion per year. Stock thefts cause annual losses in excess of R357 billion on South African farms. This represents a loss of 35 500 head of cattle, 58 123 sheep and 24 038 goats.

"This constitutes a serious threat to stock farmers, the economic sustainability of their businesses, the protection of the gene pool and the availability of meat to consumers. It is hampering the profitability of stock farmers and is also interfering with the land reform process as well as with the empowering of emerging farmers, who own at least 40% of livestock in the country. They are affected the most and can suffer a total loss of a herd in one stock theft case. Black Economic Empowerment initiatives by commodity organizations are severely hampered by stock theft, which has become a business, with indications of syndicate involvement. This makes the South African Red Meat Industry uncompetitive internationally and also has a negative impact on the wool industry."

Meiring said the tendency to transfer the factual responsibility to the citizenry is establishing the perception that the primary responsibility to fight crime rests with society and not with the instruments of state.

"Where this perception is augmented by the increasing inability of the criminal justice system, victims cannot be blamed for viewing the situation as a deliberate stage setting, using the land issue as cause for friction, conflict and also crime. There is a clear constitutional responsibility to manage both the underlying causes of crime as well as all the components of the total criminal justice system," he said.

Comparatively, rural residents are much more vulnerable than their equals in urban areas and they require a much bigger reliance on self-defence. Whilst the closest possible co-operation with the SAPS should be sought, reality demands that the ability to protect life and property under such circumstances should be acknowledged and supported. The strategy for rural safety and security needs to embrace the unique requirements of the farming community. Their security measures should be supported by financial rebates

The document stressed the importance of effective policing of international borders. It also calls on government to apply counter-crime measures, especially against violent criminals, with much more vigour.