The DA in Mpumalanga extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of 72-year-old farmer, Jessie Henry Coleman, who was brutally murdered on Tuesday at his farm near Delmas, Mpumalanga.
According to reports, unknown assailants broke the back door of the victim’s house to gain entry. It has also been reported that the victim’s house was ransacked, and his mobile phone is suspected to be stolen.
The police who arrived at the scene reported that Mr Coleman was found lying motionless in a pool of blood, and paramedics declared him deceased.
Crime is spiraling out of control in this country, and criminals are aware that the response rate to crime scenes is zero at night because the South African Police Service (SAPS) is severely under-staffed. Without more boots on the ground, we will not win the war against crime.
Our rural communities are under enormous threat, vulnerable to the most heinous form of attacks, leaving many maimed, raped, crippled or blinded. Due to the isolation of rural communities’ attackers have the time to hone their craft, leaving their victims in a pool of blood as they did with Mr Coleman. The continuous attack on farmers also threatens our food security.
Our farming communities remain extremely vulnerable, and since SAPS is critically under-staffed and therefore not able to protect these communities, it is imperative that rural safety units be reinstated as a matter of urgency. We also propose that rural community policing units must be established for every police station that serves at least one rural sector.
The DA will continue the fight to ensure that all South Africans are afforded equal protection and safety by government and SAPS as determined in our Constitution.