Pieter Groenewald – praag.org

‘Most feared crime increases’

“Robberies at residential homes, as the crime most feared by South Africans, increased by 3,6% according to the latest crime statistics. Burglaries at residential homes increased by 3,3% (253 633 incidents) and car hijackings by 5,4%. It is precisely at one’s home and on the way to work where people want to feel safe. The public therefore has reason to feel unsafe and is experiencing crime to be increasing,” Dr. Pieter Groenewald, the Freedom Front Plus’ chief spokesperson on Police said.

“What is also worrying is that of the 1 833 775 serious crimes which had been reported, there had only been 352 513 successful prosecutions. It is only a 19% successful prosecution rate. This means that the criminal justice system in South Africa has serious defects and is failing the public,” Groenewald said.

“Murder has increased by 0,6% but the fact that 16 259 people are murdered, means that there is a five times more likely chance for a person to be murdered in South Africa than anywhere else in the world where the average is 6 for every 100 000 people. Attempted murder has increased by 6,5% (16 363) which means that South Africa still remains a dangerous country,” Groenewald says.

The Freedom Front Plus welcomes the decline in crime against women and children and in crimes such as assault.

Shares in farms a smoke-screen for expropriation

The issue of proposed shares for farmworkers is a thinly disguised attempt by government to expropriate farms and could allow the uncertainty amongst South African farmers about their future to reach crisis levels, Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the Freedom Front Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on Rural Development and Land Reform, said.

Mr. Groenewald said the proposals contained in a policy document of the department of Rural Development and Land Reform about the voluntary issuing of shares to farmworkers, boils down to nothing less than brutal expropriation of land, similar to that which took place in Zimbabwe.

According to Mr. Groenewald the document is making waves in agricultural circles and the proposals have been met with great concern.

One of the proposals in the document is that a person with ten year service is entitled to 10% shares for 50 years. The document does not at all make mention of what would happen if workers eventually hold the majority of the shares in a farm.

The document also mentions that it intends to reverse a wide range of uncertainties regarding property rights which were brought about by land expropriation, humiliation and exploitation of people.

Mr. Groenewald said the proposals are frightening and could cause enormous harm to South Africa’s agriculture as it could lead to large scale disinvestment.

“What will happen if a farmer has four workers who worked on his farm for 25 years each? Will that mean that they could take over ownership without compensation and the farmer has to seek another livelihood?

“South Africans and the world should open their eyes now about the ANC government’s plans with land ownership in South Africa.

“It is clear that the land reform program is a miserable failure and other plans are now being made to expropriate land from farmers without compensating them,” Groenewald said.

Why did the Gupta family use Waterkloof Air Force Base?

The Minister of Defence, Ms. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, must provide answers as to why the Waterkloof Air Force Base was made available for the Gupta-family and whether they will be paying for the use of the airport and what costs it amounts to,” Mr. Pieter Groenewald, the Freedom Front Plus’ chief spokesperson on Defence says.

According to Mr. Groenewald, the excuse that the Lanseria airport was not suitable for the Guptas’ aircraft is unacceptable as the Mafikeng airport is closer to Sun City and is definitely suitable for large aircraft.

“It appears that the air force are bending over backwards to accommodate the Guptas who are well known for their financing of the ANC.

“When the air force and the police are abused for personal enrichment, then it promotes corruption and the abuse of tax payer’s money.

“The minister of Police, Mr. Nathi Mthethwa, must also explain why the police was used to escort the Guptas’ friends and whether the costs will be paid from the state coffers.

It is totally unacceptable that the ordinary public is disrupted during peak-hours and that the taxpayers’ money is used to make it as comfortable as possible for the Guptas’ guests to attend a wedding,” Mr. Groenewald said.

He said that the FF Plus will be asking questions in Parliament about this issue.