- Various groups have condemned the violent protest outside the Senekal Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
- There was a need for farm attacks to be dealt with, but the groups also called for arrests to be made after the arson and vandalism at court.
- Police Minister Bheki Cele questioned why people turned their anger on police, when it had secured two arrests in the farm murder case.
Political parties, unions and organisations have condemned attacks on farmers, but also called for police to bring to book the angry farmers who apparently wanted to take the law into their own hands at the Senekal Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Chaos erupted following the appearance of Sekwetje Isaiah Mahlamba, 32, and Sekola Piet Matlaletsa, 44.
The two men are accused of killing farm manager Brendin Horner, 22, whose body was found on Friday tied to a pole in an open field in Paul Roux, Free State.
Farmers were fuming after Mahlamba and Matlaletsa were remanded in custody.
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At least two shots were fired, a police vehicle was overturned and set alight, and court property was damaged by angry Free State farmers, who forced their way into the holding cells, Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said.
Some of the farmers were armed, according to Makhele.
A journalist and a photographer from The Citizen were also reportedly assaulted and threatened by the farming group, the publication reported.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Police Minister Bheki Cele condemned the "gruesome killing of this young man in Paul Roux" - but added that no one had the right to take the law into their own hands.
He questioned why farmers turned their anger towards police, when it had arrested suspects and they were before the court.
IFP MP and spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said nothing justified the destruction of state resources. He tweeted:
NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ever justifies the destruction of property or resources which are integral to the solutions of the problems and grievances at hand.You cannot complain about crime then go on to handicap crime fighting by destroying policing resources!Hhayi mani...?? pic.twitter.com/yv2WZNlMYT
— Mkhuleko Hlengwa MP #???? (@MkhulekoHlengwa) October 6, 2020
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said it was disturbed by the violence.
"The issue of farm killings and any other killings deserve equal attention and is one of the matters included in the most serious category of crimes by the South African Police Service (SAPS). It is for these reasons that the SAPS recently adopted a national rural safety strategy to curb crime in farming communities," said Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo.
"Despite the fact that police should be commended for making speedy arrests, these unruly protesters opted to attack them and vandalise state vehicles," Mamabolo said.
Right
"Every South African has an inalienable right to protest, but this cannot be tolerable and conducted in a destructive and demeaning manner. The rules of this country should impartially apply to all, regardless of anyone's economic standing," said Mamabolo.
In a statement, EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the damage and said the police had shown "cowardice" in its response to the protest.
Gauteng SA National Civic Organisation chairperson Chris Malematja said those who took advantage of vulnerable farmers should be immediately arrested. However, he condemned the violence demonstrated on Tuesday.
"We also call on [Bheki] Cele to ensure that the criminal case is opened against all those who damaged properties and those perpetrators are heavily punished because what they have done (damaging properties) is tantamount to threatening state security," said Malematja.
Cele called on police to act swiftly and arrest those responsible for the arson and vandalism.