“Iemand moet die Nasionale Kommissaris van Polisie, Riah Phiyega, asseblief help met die vertolking van plaasmoord statistieke.” So sê TLU SA se Adjunk-President en Voorsitter van die Veiligheidskomitee, mnr. Henry Geldenhuys, na aanleiding van die kommissaris se voorlegging aan die Menseregte Kommissie (MRK) waarin sy meld dat plaasmoorde afneem, en dat daar geen verskil is tussen ’n plaasmoord en ’n ander moord nie.
TLU SA het sy syfers vir plaasmoorde tot en met die einde van September vrygestel. Daarvolgens blyk dit dat daar vanjaar 53 plaasmoorde plaasgevind het in 210 aanvalle. Dit verteenwoordig ’n skerp styging teenoor 2013, toe daar tot die einde van September 43 plaasmoorde plaasgevind het in 164 aanvalle. “Dit is dus enersyds verstommend dat die Kommissaris kan beweer dat daar ’n afname is in plaasaanvalle en –moorde, en andersyds wys dit op die foutfaktor op die polisie se eie statistiek. Vermoedelik is ander syfers van hulle dan ook verkeerd,” sê mnr. Geldenhuys. Hierdie ongewenste situasie bring mee dat die SAPD hulle eie syfers openbaar moet maak. Daar is geen rede anders as om hul eie onvermoë te probeer verdoesel om dit nie bekend te stel op ‘n gereelde basis nie.
“Die MRK-verhoor het al genoeg getuienis aangehoor van gebrekkige polisie-optrede, om welke rede ook al. Waar daar dan nog ‘n beroep op die gemeenskap gedoen word om die polisie by te staan, is hulle strukture nie in plek nie, soos blyk uit die chaotiese toestand rondom polisie reserviste.
“In sekere tradisioneel swart gemeenskappe gebeur dit toenemend dat reg in eie hande geneem word omdat die polisie nie optree nie. Dit sal ’n donker dag wees as daardie soort optrede sou uitkring. Ook die boere raak ongeduldig met die gevoel dat hulle eintlik voëlvry is,” sê mnr. Geldenhuys.
Please help the Commissioner
“Could someone perhaps assist the National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, with the interpretation of farm murder statistics,” says TAU SA‘s Deputy President and Chairman of the Safety Committee, Mr Henry Geldenhuys. He reacted on the Commissioner‘s submission to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) where she said that farm murders are declining and that there is no difference between a farm murder and any other murder.
Earlier TAU SA released its figures for farm murders for 2014 until the end of September. Accordingly it seems that this year 53 murders occurred in 210 attacks. This represents a sharp increase over 2013, when until the end of September 43 murders occurred in 164 attacks. “It is amazing that on one hand the Commissioner may assert that there is a decline in farm attacks and murders, and on the other hand showing the error factor on the police‘s own statistics. Presumably, other police statistics will be wrong too,” said Mr Geldenhuys. This unacceptable situation requires the SAPS have to make their own statistics public. There is no reason other than their own inability to try to disguise it, than to announce crime statistics on a regular basis.
“The HRC hearing has learnt about enough evidence of a lack of police action, for any reason whatsoever. Where appeals to the community to assist the police are made, the SAPS structures are not in place, as the chaotic situation around police reservists indicates.
“In some of the traditionally black communities it happens nowadays more regularly that the law is taken into their own hands because the police do not act. It will be a dark day if that kind of behaviour would spread. The farmers are becoming impatient with the feeling that they are free game,” said Mr Geldenhuys.
