The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) finds it disturbing the destructive actions taken by demonstrators at the Senekal  Magistrate’s Court this morning, where two suspects into the murder of the Paul Roux farm manager were appearing. 

During this ambush, numerous shots were fired, and the unruly protesters attempted to get to the suspects in the court’s holding cells, leading to clashes with police, where several police vehicles were vandalised.

The issue of farm killings and any other killings deserve equal attention, and is one of the matters included in the most serious category of crimes by South African Police Service (SAPS). It is for these reasons that the SAPS recently adopted a national rural safety strategy to curb crime in farming communities.

This strategy will, among others establish national and local Joint Rural Safety Command Centres in rural areas across the country, which will make it easier to respond and to prevent crime, and would be capacitated with enough personnel and resources, including helicopters and drones and use of crime intelligence, to address the serious safety concerns that exit in our rural areas.

It will also serve as a means to ensure food security, and also for agricultural activities to operate safely.

Despite the fact that police should be commended for making these speedy arrests, these unruly protesters opted to attack them and vandalise state vehicles.

We find this unruly behaviour characteristic of recklessness, and those responsible should be held responsible.

Every South African has an inalienable right to protest, but this cannot be tolerable id conducted in a destructive and demeaning manner. The rules of this country should impartially apply to all, regardless of anyone’s economic standing.

Issued by POPCRU on 06/10/2020

For more information contact;Popcru Spokeperson Richard Mamabolo- 066 135 4349