Violence: Isolated incidents must not be exploited for political gain

Isolated incidents of violence must be condemned with the necessary zeal, but ought not to be exploited out of context for the promotion of political agendas. The civil rights organisation AfriForum takes this stance after the trade union Cosatu today alleged that white farmers are leading a “rampage” murder campaign against black farm workers.

This follows after the news broke that a black person was shot dead on a farm near Krugersdorp while he was on a tractor. Various media outlets and organisations immediately speculated or reported that a white farmer murdered the deceased, despite any facts that substantiate this allegation. It appears that a security guard shot the person.

Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO at AfriForum, says that the case must be properly investigated and that the law must take its course. “However, exploiting this incident for a political campaign against white farmers is nothing more than racist incitement,” says Roets.