The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Eastern Cape, along with other stakeholders, has held a summit to look at ways to bolster rural safety.

The two-day summit, held in Mthatha last week, concentrated on efforts to eradicate stock theft, while at the same time, ensuring the safety of rural communities.

Several stakeholders converged at the Walter Sisulu University (Zamukulungisa Campus) in Mthatha to reflect on the challenges that are encountered by different sectors within the rural communities. During deliberations, a task team was set up to concentrate solely on rural safety.

"We managed to identify issues that our rural communities are facing, and now what we need is to implement workable solutions on the ground level in order to protect rural and farming communities," said a member of the Rural Safety Priority Task Force from the Office of the Minister of Police, Petrus Sitho.

In her keynote address at the summit, Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, said the work of the police must be strengthened by community partnerships.

"The SAPS as an organisation cannot go it alone. If we want to achieve the salient objectives of the National Rural Safety Strategy and other relevant legal frameworks, we need to stop working in silos. All we need is a multi-agency collaboration to gain strength that will enable us to defeat our common enemy," she said.

Following the recent spike in farm attacks, Agri SA and the police joined forces to crack down on crime. They announced an enhanced implementation of the National Rural Safety Strategy to not only protect farmers and workers, but also curb stock theft.

In a joint statement, Agri SA and the police expressed their commitment to work together, and to mobilise other agricultural unions and other role players in ensuring an enhanced implementation to co-create a crime-free farming environment.