The senseless murder of Mr Willie Barnard on his farm just outside of Merafong once again highlights the urgent need for rural safety units to be re-established to keep those who live outside of urban areas safe.
Just yesterday, the DA raised the issue of rural safety in the Gauteng Legislature, calling on Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, to liaise with the Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, to re-establish these units to keep isolated communities safe.
Two suspects were apprehended by the local CPF in connection with Mr Barnard’s murder, while the response from SAPS was nonchalant.
MEC Nkosi-Malobane must ensure that all SAPS members are trained and briefed on the nature of rural crimes. Although Gauteng is a mostly urban province, there are vast tracts of it that are rural and in dire need of better policing.
This ANC-led government is doing the people of Gauteng a disservice by not implementing intelligent policing initiatives to keep all its residents safe from harm.
Each farmer, farm worker, their families and loved ones deserve to be protected from harm.