Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Media statements | Neighborhood Watch Media Statements

AfriForum launches Border Watch Initiative; Sniffer dogs deployed to Musina

ByAfriForum 03/06/202203/06/2022

The civil rights organisation AfriForum launched a new initiative to help safeguard South Arica’s borders. The Border Watch Initiative was established following the enormous support the organisation received after the premier of the documentary film Open Borders. The documentary depicted how poorly border control between South-Africa and Zimbabwe is applied and how AfriForum’s neighbourhood watches in this border area helps to safeguard the community.

The Border Watch Initiative’s first course of action was to donate two sniffer dogs to AfriForum’s neighbourhood watch in Musina. Both these dogs (Duke and Hailey) are trained trackers and Duke is specifically trained to sniff out firearms and drugs.

“Duke and Hailey will be valuable assets to strengthen the Musina neighbourhood watch’s methods to catch smugglers and seize their smuggled goods. The smugglers use the areas with dense bushes to cross the border and these sniffer dogs will assist the neighbourhood watch to quickly get on the trail of the smugglers. Duke will also help law enforcement during road blocks because of his specific skills to sniff out firearms and drugs,” says Jacques Broodryk, Campaigns Manager at AfriForums.

The Border Watch Initiative will also focus on strengthening and supporting AfriForum’s safety structures across the country. Various individuals and organisations have already indicated that they would like to sponsor equipment for the neighbourhood and farm watches in border areas.

“Between June and September of last year alone AfriForum’s neighbourhood watch in Musina helped to seize smuggled goods with a total value of more than R12 million. This has a substantial impact on the illegal activities and, according to information we have received, some of these smugglers have thrown in the towel because of the resilience of our volunteers. This is an enormous success,” says Broodryk.

AfriForum has 155 safety structures across the country and more than 10 000 volunteers that play a massive roll in safeguarding their communities.