Why the DA views farm murders as hate crimes

During a recent elective conference, the official opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA), adopted a policy resolution to have farm attacks and murders declared hate crimes and priority crimes. DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard spoke to Annelie Coleman about the party’s decision.

- Annelie Coleman

What is the definition of a hate crime?

Hate crimes are not simply acts committed against vulnerable groups but are in fact committed against individuals because of prejudice or hatred that the perpetrator holds against an entire group of people because of their identity, and the act is directed at an available victim.

Within Parliament, the DA’s shadow minister of justice, Glynnis Breytenbach, is working on legislation in this regard.

The South African Police Service’s [SAPS] definition of a farm attack pertains to any act of violence against any person residing on, working on or visiting a farm or smallholding, whether the intent was to murder, rape, rob or inflict bodily harm.

Why should farm murders be declared hate crimes? What sets them apart from other types of murders and violent crime?

Survivors of attacks on farms frequently tell of racial threats and abuse and being called a thief who stole the land. This prejudice was started under the ANC, and now seems to have become the calling card of the EFF. Unfortunately, the last major research about the nature of farm attacks and murders was done about 17 years ago, when it was determined that the main motive was simple robbery.

Since then, we’ve seen an escalation in torture of every kind imaginable, and frequently today the perpetrators leave without so much as a cell phone. Many of these crimes are marked by extreme brutality. A new research project into the nature of and motivation for these crimes must be undertaken on a national scale if we are to understand and then work on counter-measures.

In what way would the declaration of farm murders and attacks as hate crimes aid their prevention?