The credibility of the report on farm attacks has been questioned after Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula sent the document back to the committee that compiled it.
The report, meant to have been released on Thursday, was held back as Nqakula and Justice Minister Penuell Maduna were ”not satisfied with certain aspects” of the report.
Nqakula’s spokesperson Leslie Xinwa said on Friday the ministers wanted to ”engage the committee of inquiry, who compiled the report, on certain issues”.
”They (the ministers) did not specify what the problem was exactly. They just said they want to meet with the committee and to discuss the issues,” Xinwa said.
The report was commissioned in March 2001 by former safety and security minister the late Steve Tshwete, after farmers’ union Aqri SA asked for an investigation into the motives for the attacks.
Agri SA spokesperson Kobus Visser on Thursday questioned the independence of the committee.
”We are disappointed that the minister would see fit to refer the report back to an independent committee. This action casts doubt on the integrity of the report.”
According to Visser, the minister was unhappy with certain recommendations made in the report.
”The minister’s office would not elaborate on the reasons.”
He said Nqakula should at least make public the reasons for the delay.
New National Party justice spokesperson Carol Johnson said the party was concerned the delay was nothing more than political meddling.
”If the report has now been referred back to the commission because the respective ministers are ‘not satisfied’ with it, the report can never be said to be independent, and it’s credibility will now be tainted,” she said.
According to estimates by Agri SA, farm attacks increased 11% between 1991 and 2001.
It also estimated that 7 424 attacks occurred between 1991 and June this year, and 1 344 people were killed during the same period. – Sapa