24/05/2025
THE COST OF BEING A FARMER IN SOUTH AFRICA.
The recent news about how at POTUS Trump confronted the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office highlighted allegations of genocide against white South Africans.However, the core issue is whether South Africa is experiencing genocide or targeted crimes against farmers, regardless of their race. As someone with personal experience, I'll provide insight into the challenges faced by farmers in South Africa.From violent crimes, including murder, robbery, farm attacks and extortion.
As my business, Globafarm Poultry Pvt, was thriving with increasing orders for chickens, eggs, and vegetables, a call drastically altered my outlook. Rushing to the farm, I was shocked to discover approximately 350 chickens had died from suspected poisoning overnight. One employee was on leave to care for his sick mother, while the other was found sleeping intoxicated at 9 am. All doors were open, and only the survival of the remaining chickens was attributed to locked doors.The loss was significant for a small farm trying to meet customer demands.
Previously , we had pending theft issues, including the stolen green roof for our garden's sun protection less than a week after installation.Due to an ongoing investigation into this theft, I hesitated to report the chicken deaths to the police.
I recalled the events preceding that day. It began with a request to share my rented land, which I refused because I had plans for the space. I increased my security and acquired a fencing and a Pitbull. However, the dog vanished from its leash a few days before the incident. Shortly after, I received a call from someone claiming they were instructed to burn our property but refused. A container of petrol was left at our door, prompting us to evacuate immediately to save lives. We had 800 birds ,outstanding orders, and we were scheduled to receive day-old chicks every 2 weeks till they year end , a contract that would be hard to break.It wasn't easy to get it either.
Farmers, both black and white, feel neglected by the government amidst organised crime. They suffer losses from theft and extortion by izinduna.Some individuals target businesspeople, demanding money regularly, acting as a parallel government collecting taxes. Killings are often a result of robbery gone wrong.
