Cruel and ruthless attack on Dargle farm livestock is an assault on agriculture in our KZN.
The Democratic Alliance condemns the cruel and ruthless attack on livestock this weekend on a Dargle farm in the KZN Midlands which included a pregnant cow’s back being cut open in an attempt to paralyse it. Sadly, the cow did not survive the attack but the calf was saved after an emergency operation.
The incident, which took place during the early hours of Saturday morning saw Magma Security and Investigations and local Farm Watch members confront five armed males while they were trying to make a get-away. A gunfight ensued with several shots being fired. One of the suspects was shot dead.
The DA in KwaZulu-Natal commends the brave actions of farm watch members who later found two bags containing stock theft equipment, including knives and fence cutters.
Despite repeated calls to the province’s Agriculture MEC, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi, along with recommendations to ensure that rural areas and farming communities are better protected, the DA remains ignored. These measures include;
– The establishment of rural safety units similar to the effective and now disbanded commando units
– The establishment of a rural safety directorate within the provincial SAPS
– The provision of funding to establish a citizen band radio network
– The utilisation of technology to help in the fight against crime e.g. drones and cameras and
– An increase in patrols and efficiency of the police serving rural communities.
The DA calls on KZN’s farming communities who are suffering from an increase in crime to come forward with information to make public the scourge that has been largely ignored by the government.
We will continue to fight for the safety of rural communities and those who rely on the agricultural sector for a living. We can no longer accept the ruthless and barbaric behaviour of criminals praying on the peace-loving communities that form the backbone of our economy.
By Chris Pappas, MPL – DA KZN Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development
Date: 09 September 2019
