Recent independent data from the Rural Safety Statistics Group SA shows that farm attacks have increased sharply in 2025, with 143 incidents recorded between January and October compared to 121 during the same period in 2024. This represents an average of 14.3 attacks per month, up from 12.1 last year, Saai said.

Gauteng remains the hardest hit with 32% of all farm attacks, followed by Mpumalanga (15%) and North West (13%), which together account for 60% of incidents nationwide. Limpopo (11%) and the Western Cape (10%) follow close behind.

Farm murders have shown a slight decrease with 16 murders in 2025 compared to 19 in 2024, representing 11% of all farm attacks. Gauteng again records the highest percentage with 31% of murders, followed by the Free State and Eastern Cape at 19% each.

“This delay is more than just an administrative issue. Every day without reliable data is a day where rural communities are forced to plan blind. When farmers don’t know what’s happening in their areas, it becomes nearly impossible to take preventative action or coordinate effectively with local police. The lack of timely information clearly shows that rural safety is not a government priority,” said Leon Lourens, Development Coordinator at Saai.

The SAPS’s failure to release timely crime data weakens Parliament’s oversight role and creates the perception that rural safety simply isn’t on the government’s agenda. The lack of accurate data makes it even harder to allocate resources effectively and respond to areas most at risk, Saai said.

Saai calls on Acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, and the National Commissioner of SAPS to immediately release the outstanding crime statistics, provide the public with a full explanation for the delay, and ensure that a consistent and transparent release schedule is maintained in future.

As part of its broader mandate to protect family farmers, the organisation continues to work together with community policing forums, farm watches and local rural structures to strengthen safety across the country. These efforts, however, can only succeed if the Government provides reliable and timely information.

Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable. They are the foundation of public trust and national stability. Until SAPS consistently releases credible crime information, South Africans and especially those in rural areas will continue to question whether their safety truly matters, Saai concluded.

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Trump said the US will not attend the G20 summit in South Africa over widely discredited claims that white people are being persecuted in the country. The US president said it was a “total disgrace” that South Africa is hosting the meeting, where leaders from the world’s largest economies will gather in Johannesburg later this month.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it had noted the content of President Trump’s post and reiterated government’s consistent position on the matter.

“The South African government wishes to state, for the record, that the characterisation of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical. Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact,” DIRCO said.

DIRCO said the country’s position on this matter remains consistent with its previous statements, referencing a series of official responses released previously concerning misrepresentations of race relations and farm-related crime in South Africa.

The department provided links to four previous statements addressing similar claims, including responses to the United States’ Special Refugee Programme and other official US communications. These statements, DIRCO said, set the record straight on farm crime and human rights practices in South Africa.

DIRCO’s latest statement follows a Truth Social post by President Trump, in which he alleged that Afrikaners, whom he described as a persecuted white minority, were being targeted in South Africa. The post has drawn criticism both locally and internationally for misrepresenting the country’s social dynamics.

The South African government emphasised that its focus remains on building unity and promoting social cohesion, noting that the country’s transformation from a history of racial division to a constitutional democracy stands as a global example of reconciliation and inclusion.

“Against this backdrop, South Africa’s focus remains on its positive global contributions. Drawing on our own journey from racial and ethnic division to democracy, our nation is uniquely positioned to champion within the G20 a future of genuine solidarity, where shared prosperity bridges deep inequalities. We look forward to hosting a successful G20 Leaders’ Summit,” the statement said.

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