Minister Aucamp condemns attack on 50-year-old cattle farmer who had both his ears cut off

Aucamp said the extreme cruelty of the attack highlights the challenges many rural communities face. Agriculture minister Willie Aucamp has strongly condemned the recent attacks on a 50-year-old cattle farmer brutally tortured on his farm between Potchefstroom and Ventersdorp on Wednesday. Donovan Marx was shot, stabbed, and both of his ears cut off. He is currently in hospital. Aucamp said the extreme cruelty of the attack highlights the challenges many rural communities face. The minister stressed that there is no place for such senselessness and barbaric acts in our country. “There is no place in our country for such senselessness and barbaric acts, and as government, we will continue to condemn rural crimes in the strongest possible terms,” he added. Farmers as the ‘backbone’ “Farmers and farm workers are the backbone of South Africa’s food security efforts, and the endless risks to their personal safety directly place the country’s food security at risk,” Aucamp explained. He said the remote nature of rural areas means that agricultural producers are uniquely vulnerable to such attacks and will continue to be targeted by criminals if their response is not properly coordinated and strengthened. “Our police should reinforce the importance of rural crime by prioritising dedicated intelligence, specialised investigative teams, coordination with rural community police forums, and increased police resources and visibility in rural areas, so that rural crime can be alleviated.”