The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Friday, while the adoption of a Joint Parliamentary Committee report on farm murders is a step in the right direction, it believes its 10-point plan will restore law and order in rural areas.

Amid debates of farm murders in South Africa receiving special attention, DA spokesperson on Police Ian Cameron said recognition without action is meaningless, expressing the DA’s desire to deal with rural and community safety challenges with “realism, urgency and resolve”.

“Reports do not restore lives, and food is not produced in supermarkets, however, it is grown by the hands of farmers and farm workers, many of whom live in daily fear. When our farms are under threat, our food security is under threat,” he said.

Cameron explained that the party’s 10-point plan aimed to establish a specialised Rural Safety Unit within the South African Police Services (Saps), with trained and equipped individuals solely focused on rural crime, farm attacks and stock theft.

Cameron said through better data collection, functional networks and “genuine cooperation” with farm watches and traditional leaders, the plan would strengthen rural crime intelligence, aided by "fixing the criminal justice system”.

He explained that this would be done by ensuring prosecution-led investigations and real-time intelligence were shared between Saps and the National Prosecuting Authority.

“This is not a plea for special treatment. It is a demand for equal protection for all rural families, farm workers, and farmers. We owe them more than sympathy. We owe them safety,” he said.

He pointed to the criminal case surrounding the murder of 81-year-old retired Northern Cape farmer Hendrik Venter, using it as an example of what he believes are systemic failures that deny justice to rural communities.

“Venter was viciously murdered in his home in September 2024, stabbed three times in the head. Within 72 hours, police had detained five suspects. Yet despite this swift initial action, the case was struck off the court roll in May 2025 due to forensic backlogs, incomplete records, and poor prosecution,” he highlighted.

He noted that the suspects were released, not because they were found innocent, but because the State was not prepared.

“…to this day, the case has not been re-enrolled, and the family has received no justice. This is not an exception — it is becoming the norm,” he said.

Cameron explained that the DA’s 10-point plan could rebuild trust between the police and rural communities through transparency, accountability and visible action.

The plan will declare farm attacks and stock theft as priority crimes and equip the Saps with forensic tools and skilled investigators to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

Cameron further noted that it would also support emerging farmers through secure land ownership, infrastructure, and financial assistance, while opposing expropriation without compensation, which he said threatened investor confidence, destabilised agriculture and undermined food security.

He claimed that the Venter’s case was not just a “tragic failure,” but a warning that without “serious and immediate reform”, rural communities would continue to suffer in silence, and South African agriculture would continue to erode.