With the implementation of this technology, farming communities are fighting back to curb crime. Communities are not only involved with the processes and structures of the Rural Safety Strategy, but they are also actively resisting the crime onslaught by implementing new initiatives. The creative and solution-driven attitude of farmers is the driving force behind the successful implementation of this technology to create a safer living and working environment.
Any farm attack is traumatic, exceptionally unsettling and nothing can prepare you for such an event. However, the positive attempts being made by people and organisations such as Agri SA and the Agri Securitas Trust Fund to improve the situation, are positive. Remarks about farm attacks and the manner in which the matter is dealt with, will have a hollow ring to it for people who have been exposed to such attacks. The resistance against farm attacks from various quarters is at least a factor which binds a large part of the nation.
More than 12 500 farm attacks over a period of 19 years and more than 1 700 murders over this period, say a lot about the continued criminal onslaught against farmers and farm workers, which obviously does not promote South Africa's endeavours for food security. It means that farm attacks and the effect thereof on agriculture are not a lightweight matter and, for this reason, it will remain a priority for Agri SA. A premium is also placed on agricultural development and job creation in the agri-sector by the National Development Plan, which can only be done in a safe environment. Rural crime is an extensive problem with a lot of dimensions, which means that solutions have to be sought in various areas, which include policy, co-operation, readiness en effective policing. The Agri Securitas Trust fund is only one of the instruments which can make a practical contribution to the safety of farming communities.
It remains difficult to explain to those who are or have been exposed to crime, that Agri SA and the Agri Securitas Trust Fund are doing everything possible to improve the safety situation - whether by means of the Rural Safety Strategy, attempts to promote the reservist dispensation, regular interaction with the commanding structure of the police or even interaction with the South African National Defence Force.
The objective is to at least create a better basis to deal with the exhausting phenomenon of rural crime. Continued liaison with relevant safety role players at government level takes place on a regular basis, but could improve at local level. Some of the provincial affiliations of Agri SA find it difficult, however, to constructively liaise on a continued basis, which makes the application of policies, strategies and processes a lot more difficult - this matter is receiving focused attention within the organisation.
The Agri Securitas Trust Fund endeavors to create a safer rural environment by supporting safety projects at farmer union level, which will contribute to the achievement of this ideal. The projects being supported are aimed at preventative measures and aftercare. It includes, inter alia, assistance for communication networks to promote emergency communication, camera systems to monitor access, logistical requirements for application at local level, erection of boom-gates and the provision of trauma counselling services. The Trust Fund is also involved with an initiative of Agri SA to attend to an underlying perception problem which contributes to the unacceptable high occurrence of farm related crime and attacks over the longer term, namely the misconception of the broader community about commercial agriculture and how it can be improved.
Although the Trust Fund is mainly focused on the improvement of the rural safety situation and support of the safety projects, safety can also be improved by means of proactive planning. To be proactive means that the individual and the community have to be prepared for any event. Although individuals are able to protect themselves to some extent, a vigilant community is an effective deterrent. The mechanisms of rural safety means that your house should be made safe, the practicing of an emergency plan by citizens and the community, organised actions and the gathering of information and communication between employer and employee and with the broader community and farm watches. It is important not to create opportunities for criminals, but to curb crime by becoming involved with organised agriculture structures and the implementation of rural safety plans. No measure of protection is a guarantee that a farm attack will not take place, but it could delay or impede an attack.
One of the pillars for the successful implementation of the Rural Safety Strategy is the reservist system. Together with a well functioning farm watch system and active community involvement, reservists can be an important mechanism to prevent farm attacks. Reservists therefore play a role in curbing crime and should be promoted at community level. The core functions of reservists involve general functional service at station level, as well as the prevention, combating and investigation of crime, maintaining public order, the protection of citizens and their property and maintaining and enforcing legislation. It is therefore very important for farming communities to become involved in the safety structures available to them.
In addition it is also important for farming communities to be aware of the aspects which make them a target, such as:
- Easy access to the farm - apply the protocol for farm access on a continuous basis;
- Large sums of cash kept at the house, particularly when farming products are sold on the farm;
- Visible and easy access to safes;
- Easy access to vehicles to make a getaway - remove keys from unused vehicles;
- Be careful when going out in the dark to investigate;
- Lack of safety of the home - install safety gates at every outside door, burglar proofing in front of windows that can open and install a good alarm system;
- Poor communication between farmers - make sure there is good communication systems between neighbours.