RUSTENBURG - The DA in the North West province will lead a night vigil at the provincial headquarters of the police in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, calling for the rural safety unit to be reinstated.
DA provincial leader Joe McGluwa said the vigil was in solidarity with farmers and farm workers who have been killed.
"We reitarate our call for the reinstatement of safety rural units," he said.
He explained that a farmer's wife was attacked in the Makwassie area a day after the party appealed that rural safety units should be reinstated to keep farming communities safe.
"This is the second farm attack since the weekend in the province," he said.
"A 58-year old farmer’s wife was attacked in broad daylight in their farm house. She was brutally beaten, raped and then kidnapped in her own car.
"The attackers forced her to give her bank card pin, robbed her of cellphones, firearms, money and jewellery. The two armed men drove around with the traumatised victim until a flat tyre forced them to stop. They fled by foot, leaving the car and injured woman behind."
He said the rise in the number of stock theft incidents and murders of farmers and farmworkers confirm the need to re-instate the special rural safety units.
"It is shocking that most of these murders take place at the homes of victims and it is no wonder that people in North West no longer feel safe in their own homes.
"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family, friends and rural communities affected by brutal crimes like this."
He said DA structures across the province would support the night vigil by holding prayer meetings and candlelight ceremonies at sunset in front of their local police stations.