Attack on Balfour disabled home highlights desperate need for Rural Safety Units

The desperate need for rural safety units has once again been highlighted by yet another brutal attack on vulnerable members of our society.
On Tuesday night, 10 men attacked the Sunfield Fortuna home for intellectually disabled people in Balfour and demanded money while threating to kill the home’s manager and other residents.
The attackers only left the home when the manager had written them a cash cheque worth R20,000.00 because there was no money on the premises. This incident comes just three weeks after 4 members of the Smuts family were brutally murdered on their farm in Balfour.
It is clear that crime is a problem that affects all members of society particularly defenceless people living in rural areas. The longer it takes to address crime in rural areas, the longer vulnerable members of our society are left at the mercy of ruthless criminals.
Residents of the home have been left severely traumatised by the incident.
Crime in rural areas requires a specialised force that is equipped to deal with the specific challenges of policing in rural areas. We call for the urgent attention of the government to implementing Rural Safety Units immediately.
Every person should feel safe and protected in our country instead of feeling like they are more at risk of being attacked just because they live in a rural area. The DA will continue to fight for the safety and protection of rural communities.