Kwanalu » Plaasaanvalle: Agri Securitas bied praktiese hulp
FARM ATTACKS: AGRI SECURITAS OFFERS PRACTICAL HELP – English Below
Maar daar is tog ‘n instansie wat boere bystaan en daadwerklik met praktiese oplossings help. Die Agri Securitas-trustfonds is die enigste van sy soort en bied ‘n unieke oplossing vir lede van georganiseerde landboustrukture wat wil aansoek doen om finansiële bystand om hulpmiddels te bekom om hul landelike gemeenskappe te help beveilig.
“Om kameras op te rig is die beste manier om sekere gebiede toe te maak en as afskrikmiddel te dien, maar dié spesifieke nagsigkameras wat byvoorbeeld ook voertuie se nommerplate kan afneem en aan ‘n sentrale beheerkamer gekoppel is, is peperduur,” sê Grobler. “Voorts moet gemeenskappe ook begroot vir besonder hoë pale wat in beton vas is, sodat die kameras nie gesteel word nie.”
Bully Bothma, voorsitter van die Bothaville Distrikslandbou-unie in die Vrystaat, sê hulle is baie dankbaar vir die befondsing vir ‘n hommeltuig wat deur Agri Securitas verskaf gaan word. Volgens Bothma is die hommeltuig absoluut noodsaaklik om vermeende plaasaanvallers te probeer opspoor, omdat hulle maklik kan wegkruip en verdwyn. “Dié hommeltuig het hitte-opsporingstegnologie en kan selfs ‘n mens se teenwoordigheid in die nag, asook voetspore, optel.”
“Ons is baie dankbaar dat ons aansoek vir befondsing vir herhalerstelsels goedgekeur is,” sê Van der Westhuijzen. “Hulle sê mos charity begins at home en alle lede van ‘n gemeenskap moet mekaar help met veiligheid. Dié befondsing maak die finansiële las op boereverenigings baie ligter en dwing mense om saam te werk omdat dit aangewend word vir toerusting wat deur die hele gemeenskap gebruik moet word.”
Wanneer jy aansoek doen vir befondsing by Agri Securitas moet jy jou behoeftes omskryf en misdaadsyfers indien om dit te staaf, sê Van der Westhuijzen. “Dit verseker dat die fondse vir die regte toerusting of behoeftes aangewend en regverdig versprei word.”
Sandy la Marque, uitvoerende hoof van die KwaZulu-Natalse Landbou-unie (Kwanalu), sê die Boston- en Underberg-boereverenigings, wat befondsing ontvang vir kamerastelsels, was slagoffers van misdaad en plaasaanvalle in die afgelope jaar. “Ons is ongelooflik dankbaar vir die ondersteuning en die waarde wat dié befondsing in die gemeenskappe sal toevoeg. Kwanalu meen boere en plaasgemeenskappe moet eienaarskap van hul eie veiligheid neem en Agri Securitas maak dit moontlik.”
Mnr Japie Grobler, Voorsitter, Agri Securitas Trustfonds, 0828258018
FARM ATTACKS: AGRI SECURITAS OFFERS PRACTICAL HELP
After Black Monday, the agricultural community throughout the country was subjected to a wave of farm attacks. This reminded us again of how vulnerable we all are.
However, there is an organisation that supports farmers and provides them with practical assistance. The Agri Securitas Trust Fund is the only organisation of its kind and offers a unique solution for members of organised agricultural structures who wish to apply for financial help to acquire resources to safeguard their rural communities.
Japie Grobler, chair of the Agri Securitas Trust Fund, says there is an incredible demand for such assistance. “We cannot keep up. We help farmers and rural communities across the country to protect themselves. With the increase in farm attacks, rural communities must be able to catch criminals swiftly and effectively.”
He says it also helps the police if funding is provided to communities for more camera systems, booms, night vision equipment and drones, thus accelerating the entire process to catch a suspected criminal without delay.
“Installing cameras is the best way to close off certain areas and to serve as deterrent, but specific night vision cameras, which can also photograph vehicle number plates and are linked to a central control room, are very expensive,” says Grobler. “Communities must also budget for the tall poles which are implanted in concrete so that the cameras are not stolen.”
The latest applications approved by Agri Securitas’ board of trustees include eight farmer associations across the country that are responsible for safeguarding 1 000 farms, 10 000 hectares of land, hundreds of farm owners and more than 50 000 farm workers.
Bully Bothma, chair of the Bothaville District Agricultural Union in the Free State, says they are very grateful for the funding that Agri Securitas will provide to acquire a drone. According to Bothma, the drone is essential to track down suspected farm attackers because they can hide and disappear with great ease. “This drone has heat sensor technology and can even detect the presence of a person at night, as well as foot prints.”
Uys van der Westhuijzen, chair of Agri Malmesbury in the Western Cape, says the advantage of Agri Securitas funding is that it is allocated to the community as a whole and not only to an individual.
“We are very grateful that our request for funding to purchase repeater stations has been approved,” says Van der Westhuijzen. “After all, they say charity begins at home and all members of a community must help one another to ensure their safety. This funding relieves the financial burden of farmer associations and forces people to work together because the money is used for equipment that must be used by the community as a whole.”
He says repeater stations are urgently needed because communication is one of the most important principles of rural safety. “With the repeater stations we can send messages to everyone in the community simultaneously during emergency situations.”
When you apply to Agri Securitas for funding, you must define your needs and submit crime figures to substantiate this, says Van der Westhuijzen. “This ensures that the funds are used for the right purposes or equipment and are distributed fairly.”
Sandy la Marque, chief executive officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu), says the Boston and Underberg farmer associations that received funding for camera systems have been victims of crime and farm attacks in the past year. “We are incredibly grateful for the support and for the value that this funding will add for communities. Kwanalu believes that farmers and farm communities must take ownership of their own safety. Agri Securitas makes this possible.”
Other communities that recently received funding are: The Hex Table Grape Producers’ Association and the Kouebokkeveld Agricultural Association in the Western Cape, the Tosca Farmers’ Association in North West and the TAU SA’s Potgietersrus District Agricultural Union. The equipment these organisations want to purchase with the funding includes bullet-proof vests, repeaters, night vision equipment, camera systems and digital radios.
Mr Japie Grobler, Chair, Agri Securitas Trust Fund, 0828258018