Agriculture Minister opens up: Farm attacks are not a normal crime, ‘Kill the Boer’ is unacceptable, and Julius Malema’s clarification is too little too late

Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp, said that farm attacks are not a normal crime and that the ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’ chant is unacceptable.

Aucamp shared his views on farm attacks during a discussion with Izak du Plessis on the Afrikaans show, Nuuspod.

This discussion followed the murder of farmer Hannetjie van Zyl and the brutal attack on another farmer, Donovan Marx.

He argued that these attacks, which represent many similar farm attacks over the years, are not normal crimes.

“If you think for one moment that farm murders in South Africa are normal crimes, then you are out of your mind. It is not,” he said.

“Donovan Marx was not only attacked and not only tied up. They shot him twice, and they cut off his ears. Surely it cannot be normal that this happens.”

The Minister also condemned the chant ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’, saying it was unacceptable and should not be allowed.

“I hear it was a struggle song in the past, but when you sing it today and make hand gestures like you are shooting a gun, that is unacceptable.”

He added that, despite the Constitutional Court’s decision not to hear the case, people shouldn’t need a court order to force them to do the right thing.

“It is time we in South Africa say that there is no place for chants like ‘Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer’ in our country,” he said.

He references EFF leader Julius Malema’s claim that he never called for the killing of white farmers, saying it was too little too late.

“Malema had the opportunity long ago to turn down the temperature in South Africa regarding these matters, and he simply didn’t do it,” Aucamp said.

“He also sang this song again at the end of the same meeting where he said that no farmer should be killed.”

Farm attacks should be declared a priority crime: Agriculture Minister

Aucamp supported calls to designate farm attacks and rural crime as priority crimes in South Africa, aligning with similar calls in the United States.

“If our police force does not allocate more resources and attention toward prioritising these crimes, we will make no progress,” he said.

“We cannot expect farm watch groups where farmers organise their own watches and run patrols to serve as the primary form of crime prevention in rural areas.”

“That is simply not enough. The police need to pull their weight. Beyond that, we have to go further.”

Aucamp added that he is making his voice heard in the government of national unity (GNU) and cabinet meetings regarding this issue.

“I am not going to compromise my conscience by saying or holding back things just because someone else expects me to do so,” he said.

“I have to ensure this doesn’t just remain talk, but that things are actually implemented.”

In a statement regarding the recent attacks, Aucamp said they highlight the dangers faced by rural communities.

“Farmers and farm workers are the backbone of South Africa’s food security efforts and the risks to their personal safety place the country’s food security at risk,” he said.

He called on the police to prioritise rural crime by dedicating intelligence and deploying specialised investigative teams.

Aucamp further said that the police must coordinate with rural community policing forums and increase police resources and visibility in rural areas.