Dear @Our_DA @DKB20 let’s assume this is not political opportunism or to deflect from Helen’s twitter comments & subsequent silence?

Let’s examine the claim.

Using figures below if that rate is maintained we will be at 57.6 farm murders for a 12-month period? Check my maths? https://twitter.com/Our_DA/status/1278244951390896128

According to @afriforum 2019 report, 57 murders took place in 2019

Months April to June = 6 murders per month (a peak period)

By numbers alone the DA claim of “increasing” incidents appears incorrect?

But there is a larger context.

Every year SA’s murder numbers increase. Significantly.

Murders went from 20,336 in 17/18 to 21,022 in 18/19.

And in 16/17 it was at 19,016 and 18,673 for the previous year. @AfricaCheck

TLU-SA data since 1990 up until May 2020 indicate a total of 2067 deaths for the 30-yr period.

The peak was in 2002 = 119 murders & 2005 = 115. The last decade averaged 61,2 murders with a peak of 82 in 2017.

And while the brutality of farm murders is portrayed vividly on social media, AfriForum stats indicate that torture only occurs in 4% of total incidents.

Torture however is NOT recorded in SAPS data, so brutality of murders as % of total 21,022 murders is unknown. Townships?

Rural safety is absolutely a key security issue that should receive focused attention & resources from SAPS & Gov

And farmers are a critical part of the SA economy

But the framing of “farm murders” occurs within a political context.
The DA’s choosing a tagline already occupied

In context of increasing overall murders BUT decreasing/stable farm murders...

In context of heightened social media attention on the brutality, BUT without a baseline of brutality happening in townships & inner cities...

Is the DA creating an informed position of its own?