The Free State MEC for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Mr William Bulwane, has entered dangerous political territory when he attempted to qualify farm murders with serious allegations against farmers yesterday.
During an interview regarding the state of agriculture in the Free State on SAFM yesterday, Bulwane made the following comments regarding his interaction with the agricultural sector: “…one it was the killing of farmers and farmers killing farm workers”. He emphasised this with general comments that there are “…many instances when farmers kill their workers” and that this “…still exists in many farms”. However, when asked for statistics to prove his generalisations regarding “many” such instances he referred to only one such incident at Kestell without any further details.
He was unable to substantiate his allegations of many instances and instead indicated that research institutions should be approached to obtain statistics around this issue. Bulwane’s attempts to justify the murders on farms, which affect both farmers and their employees, with generalisations that attempt to portray farmers as being murderers themselves without the necessary proof is irresponsible within the current emotive environment.
Most people in the Free State are united in their diversity around the issue of rural safety and farm murders. It is clear that the ANC thrive on divisions, especially racial division, in order to divert attention away from government corruption and internal conflicts.
This is not the first time that Bulwane has made such unsubstantiated comments. He has previously in the Portfolio Committee responsible for the DARD made general comments about farmers evicting people. In response to a question on this issue by the DA in the Free State Legislature, the MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, Mr Sam Mashinini, indicated that between 2016 and 2020 there was only one case of an illegal eviction reported to the SAPS in Excelsior.
It is clear that the ANC-run government do not understand how the issues of crime and violence affect the agricultural sector. The comments made by Bulwane could perhaps be expected from the EFF, but not from someone who is responsible for such an important portfolio within the provincial government.
The agricultural sector is the only sector that experiences continuous economic growth in the Free State. The latest Statistics South Africa labour survey indicates that the agricultural sector in the Free State grew by 15,1% in the second quarter of 2020, in spite of the Covid-19 lockdown regulations. This sector sustains our rural economies, produces our country’s food and supplies employment opportunities throughout the value chain. Our farmers and their employees are national assets that should be protected and supported by government, not insulted with generalisations that could make farmers further targets of crimes. It is exactly this type of political rhetoric without the factual backup that contributes to the violence and brutality of farm attacks.
The DA has submitted questions to Bulwane requesting him to substantiate his general allegations about farmers being murderers, failing which he owes our farmers an unconditional apology.