Misdaad kos die Vrystaat ‘konserwatief’ R1,4 miljard per jaar/Crime ‘conservatively’ costs the Free State R1,4 billion per year
Geskep op 18 Oktober 2016
Misdaad kos die Vrystaat ‘konserwatief’ R1,4 miljard per jaar
Konserwatief bereken, lei misdaad in die Vrystaat se landelike gebiede jaarliks na verliese van tussen R564 miljoen en R1,4 miljard. Hierdie bedrae is gebaseer op ’n opname van die VKB/VL Veiligheidslessenaar oor verliese en kostes van landbouers om misdaad te beveg in die Virginia distrik, wat uitgebrei is na die res van die provinsie.
Volgens die opname gedoen onder 76 kommersiële landbouers in die Virginia distrik, staan hulle jaarliks beraamde verliese ten opsigte van voertuig-, vee- en algemene diefstal asook huisbrake/inbrake op tussen R3, 83 miljoen en R6, 863 miljoen. Die nie-rapportering syfer tussen 20%-50% is nie hierby ingereken nie, en kan die waarde eksponensieël vermeerder tot nagenoeg R10 miljoen. Wat egter van belang is, is dat die aanwas van veediefstal ook vir kommersiële landbouers verlore gaan wanneer ‘n dier (bees,skaap, bok, ens) van hul gesteel word.
Neem ook in ag dat slegs 24, 35% (’n kwart) van kommersiële landbouers versekering het, met 51,35% wat nie versekering het nie en die res kan nie bepaal word nie. Weens die hoë koste van versekering vir vee, kan talle landbouers nie versekering bekostig nie. Verder kwalifiseer talle landbouers nie meer vir versekering nie, aangesien hul al telke male vir dieselfde verlies moes eis en dus ’n te hoë risiko is.
Hierdie tabel reflekteer die direkte impak van misdade op die kommersiële landbousektor in Virginia:
‘n Bedrag van R148 000 tot R370 000 kan by die minimum waarde van R740 000 getel word agv nie-rapporteringsyfer 20%-50%). ‘n Bedrag van tussen R240 000 tot R600 000 kan by die R1,2 miljoen getel word as maksimum waarde tov veediefstal (20%-50% nie-rapportering syfer)
Algemene diefstal (insluitend koperkabel en skroot)
Dit moet in aggeneem word dat ‘n nie-rapportering syfer tov algemene diefstal ook in berekening gebring moet word tussen 25% tot 50% van aangemelde sake op die minimum en maksimum waarde.
Die tipe diefstal wat kommersiële landbouers van Virginia die meeste ervaar, is skroot (wat diefstal van ysterpale, sonpanele en sinkplate insluit) gevolg deur koperkabel diefstal, diefstal van mielies en diesel. Die arrestasiesyfer en skuldigbevindings kan tot onder 5% per jaar wees wat duidelik ‘n aanduiding is waarom landbouers nie gelukkig en tevrede is met vordering ten opsigte van sake nie asook vonnigoplegging binne die Kriminele Regstelsel nie.
Wanneer sonpanele van ‘n landbouer gesteel word, hou dit hom ten minste ‘n week uit die werk om sodanige items te vervang wat nog te sê van die tyd en ongerief daaraan verbonde. Dit neem ‘n kommersiële landbouer ten minste 10 werksdae voordat ‘n gesteelde spilpunt vervang en weer in werking gestel word. Daar gaan baie werksure verlore en die landbouer verloor ten minste 10 dae se produksie. Wanneer lyndrade en ysterpale gesteel word, is dit die landbouer se verantwoordelikheid om die heining te vervang omrede diere in padreserves inbeweeg en gevare inhou vir voertuie soos ernstige ongelukke en lewensverlies. Dit het ‘n geweldige finansiële uitgawe vir die landbouer om voortdurend heinings te vervang wat as gevolg van misdadige aktiwiteite beskadig/verwyder word.
Die Virginia distrik word verder geraak deur Zama-Zamas wat oor landbougrond pendel veral langs spoorlyne. Landbouers wat in hierdie area geleë is, ervaar diefstal van skroot/sonpanele en selfs deure, venters, ens. Die Virginia area word verder omring deur myne waarop daar ook verbode immigrante woonagtig is en wie se diere algemeen in die area wei. Hul knip gedurig landbouers se lyndrade en wanneer hul goud brand, dan word weiveld ook gereeld aan die brand gesteek. Van die Zama-Zamas bly weke in ou murasies op myngronde en hul is gewoonlik gewapen wat dit moeilik maak vir die landbouer om hul uit die area te verwyder. Die oorgrote meerderheid voertuie wat deur die nag op plaaspaaie bedrywig is, laai Zama-Zamas op en af wat grotendeels myntoerusting steel. Dit kan tot grootskaalse konfrontasie aanleiding gee, want Zama-Zamas is meestal gewapen en landbouers is nie voorbereid op hierdie bedreiging nie. Landbouers word versoek om alle ou geboue/murasies wat nie benut word nie, af te breek sodat hulle nie onwettige aktiwiteite kan huisves nie.
Die lessenaar het die statistiek en feite gedeel deur Virginia se landbouers na die res van die provinsie se 81 dorpe uitgebrei, waarvolgens verliese en bykomende kostes konserwatief op tussen R564 411 750 en R1 407 393 500 bereken word, afhangend van ’n 25% of 50% onderrapporteringsyfer. Die bedrae word as konserwatief bestempel, aangesien Virginia nie ’n brandpunt vir veediefstal is nie, terwyl dit baie groter afmetings in ander gebiede aanneem. Die koste van deelname aan wit/bloulig patrollies, wat die deelnemende landbouer se koste van slytasie op voertuie, brandstof en/of toerusting gebruik insluit, is ook by die bogenoemde bedrae ingereken. Die kostes in terme van veiligheid infrastruktuur en/of skade aan infrastruktuur en/of eiendom is ook verreken.
Die volledige opname oor Virginia is hier beskikbaar.
Dr. Jane Buys, VKB/VL Veiligheidslessenaar Veiligheid en Risiko Analis, by 051 4444 609
Crime ‘conservatively’ costs the Free State R1,4 billion per year
Conservatively calculated, crime annually costs rural areas in the Free State between R564 million and R1,4 billion. These numbers are based on a survey the VKB/FSA Safety Desk undertook in the Virginia district. These numbers were extended to the rest of the province.
According to the survey done under 76 commercial farmers in the Virginia district, their annual loss due to vehicle, stock and general theft as well as housebreaking/burglary varies between R3, 83 million and R6, 863 million. An underreporting figure of 20%-50% was not included in these number. Including that, losses can be estimated on R10 million per year. It is important to take note that when an animal (head of cattle, sheep, goat, etc.) is lost due to stock theft, the animal’s possible offspring is also lost.
Also take note that only 24, 35% (one quarter) of commercial farmers have insurance, with 51, 35% do not have insurance, while the rest cannot be determined. Due to the high cost of insurance for livestock, many farmers cannot afford to insure their livestock. Some farmers also do not qualify for insurance any more, as they have had to claim for theft may times and are regarded as a high risk.
This table reflects the direct impact of crimes on the commercial farming sector of Virginia:
An amount of R148 000 to R370 000 can be added to the minimum value of R740 000 due to under-reporting of 20%-50%. An amount of R240 000-R600 000 can be added to the maximum amount of R1, 2 million, in terms of stock theft and due to under-reporting of 20%-50%.
General theft (including copper cable and scrap metal)
Take note that under-reporting of 25%-50% should also be taken into account for general theft on the minimum and maximum amounts.
The type of theft that commercial farmers from Virginia face the most, is theft of scrap metal (that includes iron rods, solar panels and corrugated iron) followed by copper cable theft, theft of maize and diesel. The number of arrests and prosecutions can be as low as less than 5%, which is a clear indication of why farmers are not happy and satisfied with the progress of investigations and sentencing within the Criminal Justice System.
When a farmer’s solar panels are stolen, he can lose a week’s labour and production to replace the items, to not mention the loss of time and inconvenience it causes. It can take a commercial farmer up to 10 days to have a pivot back in action after theft. Many hours of labour as well as production is lost due to such an incident. When fences and iron rods are stolen, it is a farmer’s responsibility to replace the stolen items as animals can move into road reserves that poses a great risk for motorists in terms of serious accidents or loss of life. To continuously replace fences due to criminal activities cause serious financial costs to a farmer.
Furthermore the Virginia district is also affected by the presence of Zama-Zamas that move around on farms, especially close to train tracks. Farmers who are situated in these areas, record many incidents of theft of solar panels, scrap metal and even doors and windows, etc. The Virginia area is surrounded by mines where illegal immigrants live, and many of them let their animals graze in the areas. They also cut farmer’s fences, and when they burn gold, wildfires are usually started. Some of the Zama-Zamas live in old ruins on mines and they are usually armed, which causes more risks for a farmer who wants to remove them from his land. Most of the vehicles active on rural roads at night, transports Zama-Zamas that are stealing mining equipment. This can cause largescale confrontations, as Zama-Zamas are usually armed and farmers are not necessarily prepared for that. Farmers are requested to please break down any old buildings or ruins which are not being used, so that it cannot become a hotspot for illegal activities.
The desk applied the statistics supplied by the farmers of Virginia to the province’s 81 other towns. According to this, the losses and added costs are conservatively calculated between R564 411 750 and R140 7393 500, depending on 25% and 50% under-reporting. The amounts are described as conservative, as Virginia is not a hot spot for stock theft, while this crime is a serious problem in other areas. The cost of participating in white/blue light brigades, that includes a participating farmer’s costs in terms of wear and tear on vehicles used, diesel used as well as equipment needed, is also included in the amount. The costs of safety infrastructure or loss/damage to infrastructure and/or property is also included.
The complete survey on Virginia is available here.
Dr. Jane Buys, VKB/FSA Safety Desk Safety and Risk Analyst at 051 4444 609