BRITS POS – KLEINFONTEIN - In a bid to ensure that the rural communities are and feel safe, members of Brits Rural Safety, Social Crime Prevention and Communication led by Capt Prinsloo, in partnership with the Community Police Forum held a #Stop Farm Attacks awareness campaign at Joshua Van der Walt’s farm in Kleinfontein on Wednesday, 26 February.
The primary objective was to collectively sensitise farm workers and farmers about criminal activities that are taking place in farming areas such as farm attacks and GBV related assaults.
“Stakeholders who graced the occasion included the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management (CS and TM), Social Development and Correctional Services,” says Maria Nkabinde, SAPS Brits spokesperson.
In her address to the attendees, Boitumelo Moraba from the Department of CS & TM urged attendees not to propagate criminal activities by becoming accomplices to criminals.
Denise Herbst from Brits Community Correctional Centre emphasised that crime does not pay and communities must protect one another.
Sgt Ronnie Moeng from Brits Rural Safety urged all farm workers to break the silence by reporting crime. He also shared his cellphone number with attendees if they need to report crime.
Cpt Tinus Prinsloo emphasised the importance of working together with the police to uproot criminal elements from farms.
The CPF Chairperson, Michael Khunou, encouraged them to establish sub forums and neighbourhood watch structures.
All attendees received fridge magnets with the contact number of the local police station if they want to share information.
The farm workers raised concerns of criminals who are attacking them on the way from work to home and requested the visibility of the police and Community in Blue patrollers. In closing, the occupational health and safety manager of the farm thanked the police and other stakeholders for raising the plight of the rural community.
