DA proposes 10-point plan for farmers and rural community safety

Durban — The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has called on farming communities to take their safety into their own hands by being more vigilant as the first season kicks in.

The party said it had developed a 10-point rural safety plan ahead of the festive season, as the province continued to experience high levels of serious crime. The DA legislature spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development, Sithembiso Ngema, said the party’s plan was informed by the absence of any form of intervention by or solutions from KwaZulu-Natal ANC government and, in particular, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Super Zuma and his department.

Ngema said while December was a time of celebration and a time to relax after the hard work of the year, the reality was that the province remained a crime zone. Although law enforcement operations have made a commitment to be available during the holiday season, given the failure of the SAPS to protect rural communities, it was imperative that KZN’s rural residents also take responsibility for their own safety.

The DA appealed to farmers and rural communities to ensure this by implementing the following plan:

1. Ensure that alarm systems are working and keep in touch with security control rooms.
2. Join community safety structures and ensure communications devices still work in the event of load shedding.
3. Look for any suspicious activity and report detailed information to relevant security structures.
4. Ensure you have a panic button with you at all times and keep family and friends informed of your whereabouts.
5. Avoid carrying large sums of cash.
6. Keep doors locked and do not stay home alone if possible.
7. Ensure that emergency numbers are visible to all household members including neighbours, local SAPS and CPF structures, local security companies and security co-ordinators.
8. Ensure that your dogs have access to all areas of your property and it is neat and tidy with no places for criminals to hide.
9. Keep outside lights on at night, particularly around gates and other access points.
10. Ensure that your livestock is marked.

Ngema also warned farmers and livestock owners to beware of people claiming that their livestock had gone missing but whose real aim was to access the farm and look for any gaps in security.

He said farmers should not allow strangers into their premises. They should also refrain from selling livestock directly and instead sell through agents.

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