Farm attacks: Yet another slaying as thousands gather to protest against high murder rate
31 October 2017 – 06:24
BY GRAEME HOSKEN, SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER, LWANDILE BHENGU AND NICO GOUS AND NASHIRA DAVIDS

October 30, 2017. Cape Town. People pray during “Stop the farm killings” demonstration at Green point stadium. Photo by Ruvan Boshoff
GOD HELP US Protesters pray during a ‘Stop the Farm Killings’ demonstration in Green Point, Cape Town
Image: Ruvan Boshoff
The murder of a small-scale KwaZulu-Natal vegetable farmer – hacked to death with a panga on Monday – has brought home the deadly reality for many living on South Africa’s farms.
Bokkie Potgieter, 70, was killed when he found his attacker trying to steal his bakkie on his Vryheid farm. The killer was himself murdered by neighbouring farmworkers after he crashed Potgieter’s bakkie – with his body inside – while trying to escape.
Thousands gathered across the country on Monday in a protest dubbed #blackmonday to raise awareness of the dangers facing those on farms, with survivors speaking out about their heartache and losses.
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Some were photographed wearing T-shirts bearing the old South African flag.
Mariandra Heunis, who joined hundreds of protesters in Pretoria, said of the murder of her husband, Johan, who was shot six times on their smallholding outside Pretoria: “He was our breadwinner; he was our everything and they destroyed that for us. Our lives came to a halt, a shocking halt.”
The family was attacked while watching TV in October 2016. Her youngest child was born five days after his father’s funeral.
Criminologist Johan Burger said, according to the Transvaal Agricultural Union, 71 people were killed in attacks on farms in 2016. Of these, say researchers, 50 were farmers, six were workers and 15 family members.
“He was our everything
and they destroyed that for us.”
MARIANDRA HEUNIS
Wife of murdered farmer
A KwaDukuza sugarcane grower, asking to be anonymous, said the campaign was not only aimed at preventing attacks on white farmers.
“We supported the campaign because we are all at risk irrespective of colour. It’s very important to us because we all collectively are responsible for food security in this country.”
Farmer and Unisa rural safety researcher Willie Clack said, although people claimed the ratio of farmers killed was higher than in other categories, “we simply don’t know how many farmers we have, or how many people from pensioners, children and farm workers and their families actually live on farms”.

He said a comparison of all of those murdered in South Africa in the latest crime statistics showed that, of 19 016 people murdered, 50 were farmers, “which is 0.3% of all the murders”.
“Since 1990 a farmer has been murdered every five days, compared to 53 South Africans murdered every day over the same time frame. Yes, it is 50 murders too many, but you need to compare apples with apples.”
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Unisa criminologist Anthony Minnaar said farmers were attacked because they were soft targets.
“They are isolated and farmers are seen to have weapons and to be rich.”
Criminologist Dr Johan Burger said while the main motive for such attacks was robbery, a change in the political climate and rhetoric would also have an effect.
“It does contribute to the level of violence. Situations have evolved to the extent that farm attacks are far more politicised. There are calls for land reform, allegations against farming communities of stealing the land, and incitement to invade farms. This creates a climate which can incite animosity towards farmers.
“But,” he warned, “while it is possible more attacks have some political undertones, until a study into this is done, we won’t know this for a fact.”
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-10-31-black-monday–in-the-killing-fields/