AfriForum’s Argent farm watch in Delmas and the Sundra SAPS arrested 10 people in total on 1 July 2019.
The first five arrest were alleged farm attackers. Petrol attendants at the local fuel station alerted the Argent farm watch of a suspect vehicle with five passengers that had been lingering there for a considerable time. The farm watch investigated, and the SAPS was called in. The vehicle was then searched, and a number of items seized, including tools for a burglary, knives, ropes, cable-ties, pangas and sausage laced with the so-called two-step poison. The suspects confessed that they had targeted a farm in the area and had planned to attack the farm after nightfall. The SAPS then arrested the suspects.
After the arrests were made, the farm watch returned to the fuel station and found yet another five suspects with an assortment of tools in their possession that are typically used to steal vehicle tyres and batteries. These suspects were then also arrested by the SAPS.
“AfriForum’s Argent farm watch is proud to have been part of the successful prevention of a farm attack. We want to encourage the community to become involved more often and to join the local safety networks,” says Wessel Badenhorst, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Argent farm watch.
AfriForum prioritises farm attacks as violent crimes and often support victims. It is therefore a great honour that, with the help of valuable information and proactive action, we were able to prevent this type of crime and can increase safety in our communities,” says Hillel Coetzer, AfriForum’s Head of Safety for the northern region.