Despite the South African Defense Force (SANDF) deployment to the Lesotho border, this international border is still hugely problematic in the fight against rural crime in the Free State. As we have seen recently, several farm attacks have been launched from across the border, and have included violent attacks on farmers in South Africa.

The brazen abduction of Mrs van der Hoven in her own vehicle, where she was abandoned inside Lesotho in the middle of the night, is an example of the vulnerability of our rural communities and the lack of effective policing by the SANDF. The recent death of a prizewinning young beekeeper, Molefe Ralebenya, in the Ficksburg area is allegedly also the work of cross-border criminals.

During an oversight inspection of the Lesotho border region between Clarens and Fouriesburg, the Democratic Alliance (DA) found that the border is wide open with no fence and no controls along the Caledon river. The river is almost empty and offers no obstacle to would-be criminals, crime syndicates and stock thieves. Two armed SANDF soldiers were observed sitting next to a crossroad several kilometres from the border.

The entire Free State-Lesotho border area is becoming a no-go area for any farming activity due to the violent farm attacks and the other crimes such as stock theft and theft of farm equipment and infrastructure. Dr Jane Buys, safety and risk analyst of Free State Agriculture, has estimated that more than 600 rural crime incidents took place in the province during June 2020 alone. She says this means that the agriculture sector experiences millions of Rands in losses for economic crimes. Most of these crimes happen in the area of the Lesotho border.

 The DA believes that the purpose of the SANDF deployment to secure the Free State-Lesotho border has not been achieved. We will be filing questions to the National Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in the NCOP regarding the deployment.

The DA want to know how the effectiveness of the deployment is being measured, and how it can be strengthened in order to address cross-border crime which is having a very serious, negative effect on rural communities in the Free State.   

We welcome the announcement of a co-operation agreement between the SAPS and Agri-SA and hope that this will assist in the effective implementation of the national rural safety strategy. In the Free State, SANDF must also come on board and take their mandate of border security seriously. 

Issued by The DA