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The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the arrest of five police officers and two livestock speculators yesterday in Ladybrand and Bloemfontein by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS).

This follows after Minister Bheki Cele last year ordered an investigation into allegations that SAPS members were involved in stock theft cases in the Free State.

The matter came to head after the brutal murder of Brendin Horner near Paul Roux in October last year. Minister Cele visited the area twice last year, when he had engagements with farming structures. These farmers had already in 2019 handed a dossier of cases and evidence of police involvement in stock theft and farm murders to the Hawks, but no investigation had been done.

The Minister promised that he would take up the matter and ensure that an in-depth investigation was done.
According to the media statement released by the HAWKS, this is the first phase of a major case investigation aimed at disrupting corruption and stock theft in the Free State. It is hoped that the investigations will continue and that further arrests will follow.

Farmers, their families, farm workers and rural communities have been under siege from stock thieves and farm attackers during the last five years. Hundreds of attacks, and dozens of farm murders have taken place, and often a link with stock theft syndicates was suspected.

The DNA tests done on the two accused in the Horner case proved inconclusive, with the DNA of other persons also being found on the crime scene.

The DA has been vocal in seeking justice in this and other farm attack and farm murder cases, and continues to do so through its watching brief structures where these cases are monitored in court. We are relieved that at last it seems that justice is being done for Brendin and other victims of this lawlessness.

Our farmers and rural communities deserve to be protected and defended, so that they can continue feeding our country.

Issued by The DA