Deur middel van die skakeling kon die lessenaar ook ’n oudit van landelike beveiliging in die provinsie doen, en die oudit se bevindinge is aan die Polisie voorgelê. Met behulp van die oudit kon probleme en kwessies aan die Polisie uitgewys word, soos voertuig tekorte en probleme met dienslewering. Aangesien die lessenaar mobiel is, is hulle ook in staat om netwerke op te bou om statistiek van misdaad in die provinsie by te hou. Navorsing oor landelike misdaad is broodnodig, en dit is een van die lessenaar se hooffunksies.
Volgens die lessenaar se statistiek is 20 plaasmoorde in die eerste 11 maande van 2015 aangeteken, met 75 voorvalle van geweld wat op plase aangemeld is. Meer as 60% van die voorvalle het in die noordelike dele van die provinsie voorgekom. Misdaad langs die Lesothogrens bied ook groot uitdagings.
OVK is een van die sleutel rolspelers wat die lessenaar in staat stel om statistiek oor misdaad by te hou, wat gebruik kan word om strategieë te kan ontwikkel vir voorkoming van misdaad. “Ons is baie dankbaar vir OVK se verbindtenis tot dié borgskap en die feit dat hulle die veiligheid van landbouers in die provinsie op die hart dra, is ‘n riem onder die hart,” aldus Henk Vermeulen, hoof uitvoerende beampte van VL.
Die veiligheid van plattelandse gemeenskappe is vir die OVK Groep prioriteit. OVK ondersteun graag inisiatiewe waar landelike veiligheid verbeter kan word en het waardering vir Vrystaat Landbou se hulp-aksies. Die Veiligheidslessenaar gaan die voertuig as hulpmiddel gebruik ter bevordering van die Landelike Veiligheidsplan, opleiding van produsente ten opsigte van veiligheidsaangeleenthede asook verteenwoordiging van produsente op verskeie veiligheidsforums.
Die sigbaarheid van veiligheidsverteenwoordiging is in die huidige omstandighede belangrik en is OVK vir Vrystaat Landbou hier van hulp. Dit is slegs deur spanwerk dat die negatiewe impak van misdaad bekamp kan word. Dit is ‘n voorreg vir OVK om saam met Vrystaat Landbou te werk en hul behulpsaam te wees om hul goeie werk tot volle potensiaal voort te sit. In mnr Stéfan Oberholzer, Besturende Direkteur van die OVK Groep, se woorde:- “Al word slegs een plaasaanval, diefstal of ander misdaad met hierdie borgskap voorkom, het ons in ons doel geslaag”.
Alani Janeke, VL mediabeampte, by 051 4444 609
Sulene Oosthuizen, OVK skakelbeampte, by 051 923 4735
45 000 km for rural safety
It is with great humility that Free State Agriculture (FSA) receives a vehicle for the VKB/FSA Safety Desk for a second term from the OVK Group on 1 December 2015. The OVK-group and Toyota Ladybrand sponsored a Toyota Hilux 2.5 liter LRV ‘bakkie’ to the desk to be able to fulfil their duties.
With this vehicle the desk has been able to travel over 45 000 km the past year to visit 46 of the 76 towns in the province. The trips were mainly to visit victims and scenes of farm attacks, to introduce themselves to the different safety networks, farm watch structures and agriculture unions in the province and to attend different meetings. They also presented 22 workshops in collaboration with the Police to inform farmers about rural safety and especially what to do during land invasions.
By means of the networking done the desk could undertake an audit on Rural Safety in the province, and the audit’s findings were presented to the Police. With the help of this audit problems and issues were highlighted, for example vehicle shortages and problems with service delivery. The mobility of the desk enables them to build networks to keep statistics about crime in the province. Research about rural crime is desperately needed, and this is one of the desk’s main functions.
According to the desk’s statistics 20 farm murders were recorded in the province in the first 11 months of 2015, with 75 violent incidents reported on farms. More than 60% of these incidents occurred in the northern parts of the province. Crime along the Lesotho border is also a major challenge.
OVK is one of the main role players that enables the desk to keep statistics, and these statistics will be central to develop strategies to prevent crime in rural areas. “We are very grateful for OVK’s commitment to this sponsorship and the fact that they care about the safety of the farmers in the province is heartwarming and reassuring,” says Henk Vermeulen, chief executive officer of FSA.
The security of rural communities is of great concern to the OVK group. OVK therefore gladly supports all initiatives to this avail and has expressed great appreciation for the efforts made by Free State Agriculture to assist rural communities in this respect.
The Security Desk will henceforth utilise vehicles to promote the Rural Security Plan. The buy-in of Producers will be sought and they will be informed and trained in security matters. Producers will also have representation on the various Security forums. Visibility is crucial in all matters of security and OVK has offered its assistance to Free State Agriculture in this respect.
The negative impact of crime can only be successfully combated through team-work and OVK feels privileged to partner with Free State Agriculture to enhance their efforts. In the words of Mr Stefan Oberholzer, Managing Director of the OVK Group: “If our sponsorship succeeds in preventing just one farm attack, just one robbery or any other crime, it would have served its purpose par excellence!”
Sulene Oosthuisen, OVK’s media officer, at 051 923 4735