ANC - "Farmers to blame for Farm Attacks"

It's farmers' fault that many farms are unsafe, ANC MPs said on Tuesday.

André Botha, chair of Agri SA's policy committee on rural safety, said during a presentation to the portfolio committee on police that the derogatory statements about white farmers made by government officials and senior politicians, is one of the biggest challenges.

Patrick Chauke, ANC MP, dismissed this.

"Political statements are the least of your worries. Organised agriculture knows all too well that they are the cause of the problems. The police try their best, but the solution lies with you," he said to Botha.

Chauke carried on to argue that farm workers are abused, and that illegal immigrants are "held prisoner" by farmers.

"Most of the cattle theft is committed by the farmers themselves. And they sell alcohol to the people who live on the farm."

Aggressive farmers

According to Sindi Chikunga, ANC MP and committee chair, there are many kind-hearted farmers.

"But it's also a fact that there are many violently aggressive farmers and you (Agri SA) should publicly condemn them."

Allegations were also made that farmers are reluctant to become police reservists and don't want to get involved with community policing forums and sector policing.

Botha, who is a police reservist, told Beeld afterwards that he was extremely unhappy about what happened during the meeting. He dismissed and denied the statement that farmers don't want to help the police to secure their farms.

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DA questions inequality report

A government report stating inequality within South Africa's black population group dropped over the past decade is at odds with an international finding it is increasing, says the Democratic Alliance.

In this regard, a paper published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stood in "stark contrast" to the presidency's 2009 Development Indicators report, DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The DA will therefore be writing to the Minister in the Presidency of National Planning, Trevor Manuel, requesting an official explanation for this disparity," he said.

According to the 2009 Development Indicators report, "inequality within the African population has declined since 2000".

Paper suggests otherwise

But a working paper released last month by the international OECD, titled "Trends in South African Income Distribution and Poverty since the Fall of Apartheid", suggests otherwise.

It notes South Africa's "high aggregate level of income inequality" increased between 1993 and 2008, and says "the same is true of inequality within each of South Africa's four major racial groups".

The paper further calls into question race-based redistribution policies.

"From a policy point of view it is important to flag the fact that intra-African inequality and poverty trends increasingly dominate aggregate inequality and poverty in South Africa."

"Race-based redistribution may become less effective over time relative to policies addressing increasing inequality within each racial group and especially within the African group," it states.

Report continues