‘Enough is enough’: Hundreds gather to demand justice for Brendin Horner

Agricultural leaders and community members from Senekal and surrounding areas in the Free State have gathered in their numbers ahead of the court case of the two men linked to the murder of farm manager Brendin Horner.

The two men, suspected to be stock thieves, are expected to appear in the Senekal magistrate’s court on Tuesday morning.

Senekal detectives arrested the men, aged 34 and 43, on Saturday at Fateng tse Ntho in Paul Roux.

Horner, 21, worked for the Scheepers family on Bloukruin farm, close to Paul Roux. His body was found tied to a pole in an open space at the farm on Friday.

Scores of community members clad in "Stop Farm Murders" T-shirts gathered in the Free State town on Tuesday morning.

The large group were carrying placards that read “Remember their names” and “Enough is enough”.

Chairperson of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) Theo de Jager, who also attended the protest outside the court on Tuesday, described Horner's murder as “senseless and cruel”.

De Jager said the murder made headlines even in Europe and North America.

“SA’s agricultural community has never been as frustrated and disappointed with the state as they are now. Feelings among farmers are running high,” he said.

“For the sake of rural stability, the ANC must take their points of view and their approach to farm murders into urgent reconsideration.”

Police have promised to formalise the establishment of national and local joint safety command centres to address crime in rural areas.

This follows a meeting between the police, Agri-SA, TLU SA and AfriForum in Pretoria on Monday.

National police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole said interventions were under discussion for hotspot areas, to ensure an “effective proactive approach”.

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