NAU condemns Botma murders
Hundreds of farmers gathered at the Keetmanshoop Magistrate's Court on Monday, calling for the three accused men to be denied bail.
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has condemned the senseless killing of an elderly couple on a farm in the Koës area, adding that the criminals must be punished severely.
In the latest attack on farmers in Namibia, Giel (79) and Sarie (80) Botma were murdered last Friday at farm Lindeshof near Koës in the
//Karas Region.
Hundreds of farmers gathered at the Keetmanshoop Magistrate's Court on Monday, calling for the attackers to be denied bail and for them to receive life sentences.
In a petition delivered to the court, farmers expressed concern that similar attacks might follow if the suspects were released.
Julius Frederick Arndt (40), Andries Afrikaner (37) and Johannes Christiaan (36) were charged with murder, housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm without a licence and the illegal possession of ammunition.
They were not asked to plead and their case was postponed to 23 April to allow for further police investigations and for them to apply for legal aid.
It is alleged that the trio shot and killed Giel before strangling his wife, after they had gained access to the couple's house through a window.
NAU president Ryno van der Merwe said it was clear that defenceless people were being targeted by unscrupulous villains and that violence was part and parcel of the attacks.
“The safety of the farming community is an integral part of the development of rural areas. The law-enforcement agencies are requested to punish these criminals severely and no bail should be granted to them,” Van der Merwe said.
The NAU further requested law-enforcement agencies to prioritise the protection of lives and property in rural areas.
The union also appealed to the farming community to consider their own safety as a priority, while urging that farmers should at all times be aware of possible criminal actions in their vicinity, and report this immediately to the police.
According to Van der Merwe the Namibian police have invited the union to participate in the development, drafting and implementation of a national integrated crime combating strategy for Namibia.
Crime prevention and combating will also be discussed at the meeting of the Joint Crime Prevention Forum, which will be held in Windhoek on 19 February.
The union expressed its appreciation to police inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga for his assistance and support in the Botma case, while also thanking Commissioner Flip Blaauw from the police's air wing.
The union also thanked the Koës, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Aranos police, as well as the Khowesno, Aranos, and Leonardville crime prevention forums.
“Without the fast actions of all involved, the culprits would not have been caught immediately,” said van der Merwe.
Namibian Sun recently reported that statistics compiled by the NAU over the past 18 years indicated that there had been 83 farm attacks and murders on commercial farms in Namibia.
At least 43 people had been murdered in farm invasions and about 78 people had been attacked on farms since the year 2000.
The recent murders of elderly married couple Siegfried and Brunhild Riedel on a farm outside Gobabis were the first reported farm murders for this year.
ELLANIE SMIT
In the latest attack on farmers in Namibia, Giel (79) and Sarie (80) Botma were murdered last Friday at farm Lindeshof near Koës in the
//Karas Region.
Hundreds of farmers gathered at the Keetmanshoop Magistrate's Court on Monday, calling for the attackers to be denied bail and for them to receive life sentences.
In a petition delivered to the court, farmers expressed concern that similar attacks might follow if the suspects were released.
Julius Frederick Arndt (40), Andries Afrikaner (37) and Johannes Christiaan (36) were charged with murder, housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm without a licence and the illegal possession of ammunition.
They were not asked to plead and their case was postponed to 23 April to allow for further police investigations and for them to apply for legal aid.
It is alleged that the trio shot and killed Giel before strangling his wife, after they had gained access to the couple's house through a window.
NAU president Ryno van der Merwe said it was clear that defenceless people were being targeted by unscrupulous villains and that violence was part and parcel of the attacks.
“The safety of the farming community is an integral part of the development of rural areas. The law-enforcement agencies are requested to punish these criminals severely and no bail should be granted to them,” Van der Merwe said.
The NAU further requested law-enforcement agencies to prioritise the protection of lives and property in rural areas.
The union also appealed to the farming community to consider their own safety as a priority, while urging that farmers should at all times be aware of possible criminal actions in their vicinity, and report this immediately to the police.
According to Van der Merwe the Namibian police have invited the union to participate in the development, drafting and implementation of a national integrated crime combating strategy for Namibia.
Crime prevention and combating will also be discussed at the meeting of the Joint Crime Prevention Forum, which will be held in Windhoek on 19 February.
The union expressed its appreciation to police inspector-general Sebastian Ndeitunga for his assistance and support in the Botma case, while also thanking Commissioner Flip Blaauw from the police's air wing.
The union also thanked the Koës, Mariental, Keetmanshoop and Aranos police, as well as the Khowesno, Aranos, and Leonardville crime prevention forums.
“Without the fast actions of all involved, the culprits would not have been caught immediately,” said van der Merwe.
Namibian Sun recently reported that statistics compiled by the NAU over the past 18 years indicated that there had been 83 farm attacks and murders on commercial farms in Namibia.
At least 43 people had been murdered in farm invasions and about 78 people had been attacked on farms since the year 2000.
The recent murders of elderly married couple Siegfried and Brunhild Riedel on a farm outside Gobabis were the first reported farm murders for this year.
ELLANIE SMIT
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