President Cyril Ramaphosa did not want to help with farm safety plan in South Africa that the United States was prepared to fund

The US Ambassador to South Africa, L. Brent Bozell III, has praised AfriForum’s plan for rural safety and protesting farmers.

Bozell visited AfriForum’s headquarters to see firsthand its community safety operations and neighbourhood and farm-watch programs.

He said that AfriForum is doing a terrific job. “I read that thing word for word. It was so well thought out,” he said in a Biznews interview.

“There were so many ways they were self-assessing. Not a lot of people do that. This showed all the things that have worked.”

The US Ambassador to South Africa said that this plan was so effective that farm murders have plummeted due to its rollout.

“So many murders have been prevented as a result of what the private sector has had to come up with,” he said.

AfriForum told Bozell that to expand this programme across South Africa, they need help at the national level.

“I asked AfriForum that, in the case where the South African government wanted to partner with them, whether they would accept it. They said they absolutely will.”

“I suggested to President Cyril Ramaphosa that the government could look at that as an option to improve farm safety.”

“To sweeten the deal, we said the United States would help to fund it. If South Africa came up with some money, we’d cover the rest as a gesture on our part.”

He added that, if Ramaphosa was uncomfortable with involving AfriForum, he could also implement the South African Police Service’s plan.

“South Africa itself has its own plan. It’s sitting on a shelf that the police have. I haven’t seen it, but I understand it’s quite good,” Bozell said.

“So, I suggested to President Ramaphosa that he could also do their own plan. We’ll look at it too. If it makes sense, we’ll help fund it,” he said.

Despite these options, President Cyril Ramaphosa did not want to act on any of them. This, Bozell said, was strange as it was so simple to do something good.

L. Brent Bozell III’s visit to AfriForum’s community safety centre in Centurion

Bozell III visited AfriForum’s community safety centre in Centurion this week and was shown the community safety structures and technology-driven control rooms.

AfriForum highlighted the practical role it plays in combating farm murders and other crimes in rural and urban areas.

This visit came amidst AfriForum’s efforts to resolve the dispute between South Africa and the US regarding farm murders and rural safety.

AfriForum said that it had submitted a comprehensive safety proposal to the South African government.

This proposal demonstrated how community safety structures can operate within the framework of the law.

It described cooperation between the South African Police Service (SAPS), private security companies, and other safety role-players.

This plan aims to address the country’s crime crisis in a coordinated manner through a Public Community Partnership (PCP).

Furthermore, the plan aims to create safer conditions in the country so that people do not feel compelled to leave.

“AfriForum remains focused on playing a constructive role in the interests of South Africa and its people,” AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said.

“We want to resolve the dispute between the United States and South Africa regarding farm murders and rural safety.”

“If the South African government responds positively to AfriForum’s proposal for a PCP to combat crime, it will strengthen the fight against crime in the interest of everyone.”

AfriForum also believes that the proposal will make a positive contribution towards helping to address US concerns about farm murders and other crimes.

The organisation proposed establishing a standing working committee between AfriForum and the SAPS.

This standing working committee will focus on involving relevant safety stakeholders in a coordinated anti-crime strategy.

Such a strategy would rely on the use of control rooms such as AfriForum’s, which employ technology as force multipliers.

These technologies assist local community safety structures, private security companies, and the SAPS.