Armed robbery, not political and racial motives, principally lie behind farm attacks, says the long-awaited report of an independent committee of inquiry into the crime.
But the ”extraordinary violence” of farm attacks should be further investigated, recommends the report. One in three farm residents involved in an attack can expect to be seriously injured, while one in eight will be killed. This makes farm attacks more violent and deadly than cash-in- transit heists, says commission chairperson advocate Charl du Plessis.
”The violence is not necessarily seen by the committee as indication of racial intolerance,” he said. ”We are not saying race does not play a role. What we are saying is that there are other reasons why we have this exceptionally high level of violence.”
In 2001 just more than 60% of farm attack victims were white. The report said the number of black victims was increasing, but also that a white victim was at greater risk of harm than a black victim.
The Freedom Front has rejected the finding that robbery is the key motive for farm attacks, citing, the fact that the murder rate among farmers is more than five times the national average. ”When this committee comes and says it is just crime with no political or racial undertones, the FF says: ‘No, we don’t accept this. It’s not good enough,’” said FF chief whip CornÃ