Coming from family that until recently farmed, I have both understanding of and empathy for the plight of farmers. The current media attention of farm attacks is highlighting the reprehensible lack of action taken to prevent these horrific attacks.
However. And this “however” will make me unpopular.
Farm attacks cannot be prevented unless a significant change in the way we view them is undertaken. There is a massive emphasis on the white farmers killed. But how many black farm workers are robbed and no one asks any questions? What about black farmers? Are they not as important?
The robbery of a cell phone outside the farm might well escalate to robbery on the farm. Yet there seems to be little interest in preventing these incidents. One specific example I personally testify to was when visiting a farm not that long ago. The farm owner indicated how scared they were of getting attacked. A day later he said his foreman had just returned from hospital after being stabbed while walking back from some errand on a neighbouring farm.
He was surprised that I would ask so many questions on who the robber was and what the community was doing to catch them. They didn’t know how many attackers, where they went after the attack, if they were on foot or in vehicles, or even if it was someone the victim knew. No interest whatsoever. The reason for this apathy was that the foreman was known for liking to have a drink and then playing cards. Sometimes he would lose money he didn’t have.
This is the reason for the constant escalation of attacks. These are not farm attacks. They are rural attacks. Everyone suffers. When this is understood then it will serve to bring the communities together and in so doing they will be able to far better identify risk factors, eliminate that risk, and make tangible inroads into rural safety.
The second “however” is the fact that most people living in rural areas are woefully underprepared. Buying lots of radios, and night vision, and quadbikes with million lumen spotlights does not count as effective preparation. People confuse being prepared with “prepping.”
The latest reports are of an individual killed after investigating a break in. Yes he was armed. Yes he might have fired a few shots. The hard truth is that he was not prepared. The tragic outcome of this is that he is dead.
Being prepared is a mind-set that must also be instilled, looking at the specific circumstances that are in play. Equipment, no matter how good, means nothing if it’s not deployed correctly.
Facts known about rural attacks clearly indicates that they will:
- Know the layout of the farm
- Know who is where on the farm, both in terms of location and in numbers
- They will know the routines of everyone
- They will have escape routes planned
All these factors indicate that one man with a handgun will be hard pressed to fend off an attack. We know there are never solitary attackers. Groups will often be more than ten individuals. Seldom will there be fewer than five.
So now:
- If you know there are more of them than you, why leave the relative safety of the building?
- If you know they are armed, why actively seek confrontation?
- If you know that they are willing, even enthusiastic to kill, why not undergo effective training?
- Why do you not have an effective plan, both for fighting back as well as running away?
These are a few points. I don’t propose to tell anyone how to solve a problem as every community will have its own unique problems and challenges. But there are a few universal truths that can help to alleviate the threat.
Worse than the unprepared people in rural areas are the “tactical” instructors teaching them “tactics” that fall somewhere between outdated and out of context, to dumber than using you bare hands to feel for snakes under the pump housing. Sooner or later it will get you killed or maimed.
The bitter truth is that until the rural communities, be they farmer, worker, or any other stake holder, stops relying on outside sources for help, and start solving their own problems, there will be no change. Rural attacks will decline when the populations are so low that there is no one left to rob and kill.
Education lies at the root of this. Closed-mindedness and stubborn refusal to accept that this affects everyone equally leads to opportunity for criminals to operate with little consequence.
Ultimately this problem belongs to every citizen in this country. No farmers means no food, or at least only imported food. However, if we focus on the farmers and not the entire support structure in place surrounding the farm, we will not be able to change the environment in which rural attacks take place so easily.
The biggest danger is politicizing this to the point where attention moves from finding solutions to only regurgitating the rhetoric of some charismatic leader. This is a practical problem that must be solved practically. Blunt force and bigger-hammer-for-bigger-problem thinking will achieve nothing.
Finally, to anyone reading this. If you find yourself in a position where you are at risk of an attack in a rural area, take time to reflect. Reflect on how well you know the people who live in the area. Reflect on how well you are trained. Reflect on who did your training. Reflect on how much you follow through on that training. Instead of getting more hard security in place, will the soft skills of building a relationship with the people, and working together to prevent attacks, not bear far greater yield?
Written by Stefan Meyer
Stefan is a scruffy, cantankerous, rude and unpleasant man who has been trapped in the gun trade and training for over ten years after some dumb university lost his registration, and he could not finish his psychology degree.
Schalk Roets
•7 years ago
Hi. Having a lot of family in the farming community, I am in full agreement with you when you say that the majority of them are completely unprepared for an attack of this nature ( or any attack for that matter). This has slowly started to change, but only over the last couple of months.
What I do think you are ignoring in your definition of rural attacks, howver, are the following:
1. The brutallity of farm attacks, most often involving extensive torture, cannot be grouped together with the farm worker’s cellphone being stolen and him being slapped around, or even stabbed.
2. The motive behind the attacks. Often during farm attacks, nothing is stolen. Robbery is not the motive here. Never has been.
3. The people involved. Farm attacks are planned, coordinated events, usually involving a large number of people. Again this is very different from a farm worker being stabbed for not being able to pay what he owes, or because his drinking buddy did not like the way he looked at his wife. These things happen everywhere, more so in the cities where there are large concentratios of people.
4. I would not take your witnessing of one incident as evidence of a general disregard by farmers for the well-being of their workers. As mentioned I have a lot of family on farms, which I visit often, and have not experienced this. While my sample of events might be as small as yours, I don’t think this is something that should be generalised.
My comments above are not trying to umply that attacks on people other than farmers are less important. I just don’t think it can all be categorised in the same way.
I am from my side trying to help people I know to become more proactive and prepared, however as you said it is mostly a mindset that needs to change, and this does not happen overnight. But change it will have to.
Peter Moss
•7 years ago
Excellent observation farmers have been slow to react which is more a leadership problem than anything else. The failure to organise and realise government is never coming to our (citizens) aid. That our safety is our responsibility and our right to defend. The idea that government will look after us is foolish indeed.
Peter Moss
•7 years ago
Great article Bryan, however the most important one was not even mentioned and applies not only to farmers but all of us.
First, when it come to abdicating duty to family and love ones firearm owners are at the top of he list. It is all very well to claim you the elitist had the responsibility to meet the requirements of the firearms control act so everybody can. It’s not difficult yada yada …… The fact is that it is difficult, inconvenient and totally unneeded. There is no firearm owner alive today who does not know this.
Now knowing farms are going to be attacked by multiple people probably armed with anything from an AK47 down what do you suggest the farmer have for his defense of family, life and property? What would without question be best?
Why can this farmer a member of our community not obtain what is known to be the best? Does this farmer not deserve the best?
Today we are faced with a situation somewhat of our own making. When we had the chance to challenge the Firearms Control Act we failed abysmally because we allowed idiots and fools who claimed to be reasonable to guide us. What has been proven beyond a shadow of doubt is how unreasonable and foolish they were.
Unfortunately their pervasive arguments suit our desire of not being involved and acceptance of our fate. The position of the appeaser and collaborator, not the free citizen who can stand proud. A citizen willing to defend that freedom and ensure their children have the same freedom they had.
What happens to farmers today is what happens to us tomorrow. Not to worry though I am pretty sure there are many who will claim we can negotiate a settlement. Negotiation is working so well it just needs more time and support. Not that anyone can see any benefit from this negotiation that does not dig the hole deeper and make getting out even more difficult.
Farmers have given us a great example of standing together and obtaining public acceptance. Can we not learn from this because we are not ever going to figure it out for ourselves with our current leadership.
Bryan
•7 years ago
Peter. I think you may be mistaken. You are replying to me on an article written by Stefan. I don’t reall follow what you are trying to say in this post.
Peter Moss
•7 years ago
Oops more than one page open at a time…. my apology.
Westransvalie
•7 years ago
Living on a farm and earning an income from agriculture for the past number of years, I can only agree with the writer that laissez-faire mindset and the lack of correct preparation are our own worst enemies. We have routines, are not vigilant, don’t read battle indicators or disregard them. In the case of an incident for at least you need to sound the alarm, then survive for another 20mins before help arrives. Who can? Stay safe and be#HardtokillSA.