THE Freedom Front Plus (FF+) in the Free State has slammed the African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for allegedly fuelling farm murders.
FF Plus believes that the policies and remarks of the two political parties show no respect for white farmers, hence criminals are fearless in brutalising farmers.
FF Plus provincial leader Jan van Niekerk told Daily Sun that farmers are getting fed up.
Van Niekerk was referring to a brutal murder of a well-known farmer Michael Andre Pattison (67), who was kidnapped on his Summerslie farm in Harrismith on Saturday, 22 July, and his body was recovered after three days at Tsheseng Village, where his bank account was also used to buy alcohol.
"Farm murders impose a serious threat to South African food security. The majority of potential farmers are leaving the country to overseas. Agriculture is the food basket of the country. The farmers are getting fed up, and we won't stop them when they become ruthless.
"ANC and EFF reiterate that white farmers have stolen the land. It's one of the main reasons these farm attacks escalate. There's no respect for white farmers in this country," he said.
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Van Niekerk attended the court appearance of the five accused who allegedly kidnapped a farmer, hijacked his vehicle and used his bank account to buy alcohol.
The dead farmer's brother, Philip Pattison, said the family lost a successful farmer who worked hard to increase the agriculture standard.
"Countries like America, England and Australia had called when they heard about his departure. He was known by the community because he was also working in one of the local schools."
The chairman of the Harrismith farmers union, George Galloway, has welcomed the postponement of the accused's bail hearing to Monday, 14 August, for formal bail applications.
