CRIME NEWS - A new AfriForum report has highlighted what the civil rights organisation describes as a recurring pattern of extreme violence during some farm attacks in South Africa.
The report, More than robbery: Violence during attacks on farms and smallholdings in South Africa, 2019–2025, examines 47 separate violent attacks over a seven-year period.
AfriForum says its findings indicate that some victims were subjected to severe physical and emotional abuse, including torture.
According to the organisation, the findings support its view that farm attacks should not be regarded simply as incidents of robbery and that a specialised response to rural crime is needed.
Study identifies recurring patterns
AfriForum says its analysis identified four key areas of similarity among attacks involving what it describes as torture: the weapons used, the physical injuries suffered by victims, the use of extortion and the level of violence involved.
The organisation says victims in the incidents studied were subjected to various forms of serious physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
AfriForum concludes that violence amounting to torture occurred in farm attacks across South Africa and argues that the nature of these crimes warrants a specialised approach.
Call for farm attacks to be treated as a priority
Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for Community Safety, says the severe attacks examined in the report are not confined to a particular province.
“Dié wrede aanvalle kom in elke provinsie voor,” Broodryk says, arguing that farm attacks should be regarded as a national rural safety concern requiring specialised intelligence, focused investigations, appropriate policing resources and stronger cooperation with rural communities.
AfriForum is calling on government to recognise farm attacks as a priority crime and develop dedicated strategies to address them.
The organisation points to other crime categories for which specialised approaches are already used, arguing that the same principle should apply to farm attacks.
Government urged to address inflammatory rhetoric
AfriForum is also calling on government and political leaders to condemn what it describes as inflammatory or hateful rhetoric directed at South Africa’s farming communities.
Broodryk specifically refers to the “Kill the Boer” chant and argues that political leaders should not remain silent when rhetoric targeting a particular community is normalised.
The report and AfriForum’s accompanying statement therefore place both rural policing and political rhetoric among the issues the organisation says need greater attention.
Community safety also in focus
AfriForum says rural communities cannot rely solely on the state’s response to violent crime, particularly in areas where police resources and response capacity may be limited.
While acknowledging that public safety is a constitutional responsibility of government, the organisation says communities should also be supported in playing an active role in local safety structures.
AfriForum says it will continue expanding its network of neighbourhood and farm watches, while investing in volunteer training, technology, communications and specialised response capacity.
The organisation also plans to expand its trauma support services and continue documenting farm attacks.
Wider rural safety debate
AfriForum’s latest report adds to an ongoing debate around farm attacks, rural safety and the policing of crime in agricultural communities.
The organisation's previous research recorded 184 farm attacks and 29 farm murders in 2025, although these figures reflect AfriForum's own research and definitions rather than a comprehensive national crime count.
The latest study specifically focuses on the nature of violence experienced by victims in 47 attacks between 2019 and 2025, with AfriForum using the findings to argue for a more targeted national response to rural crime.
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