Govt Speaks Out Against 'Barbaric' South African Farm Attacks

Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform Deputy Minister, Mcebisi Skwatsha, has condemned the spate of farm attacks, describing them as cruel and barbaric. This comes after the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, said: "Attacks on farms threaten the food security, employment figures and the economy of our country. Both farmworkers and farm owners are of equal importance in the agricultural chain." Afrikaner rights group AfriForum stated in the past that the attacks are racially motivated while opposition party the Freedom Front Plus campaigned against farm attacks. Mike Mlengana, former director-general of the Department of Agriculture, however, said that farmers of all races are affected, a sentiment shared by Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema.