AfriForum deputy CEO Ernst Roets has welcomed a decline in farm attacks, which he said is attributed to more vigilance and community safety structure involvement.

The civil rights organisation released its report on farm murders on Tuesday.

Compiled by the AfriForum Research Institute, the report is expected to help security structures identify criminal trends and act proactively.

Roets added that private security had proven to yield positive results, especially in rural communities.

AfriForum researcher Johan Nortje said that the murder incidents in terms of brutality had not seen a decline as most victims were shot and killed or bludgeoned, hacked or strangled to death.  

The report reveals that an average of 2.78% farm attacks are murder incidents.

Recent South African crime statistics revealed by Police Minister Bheki Cele also showed a decrease in farm attacks. He promised that, while the decline was welcomed, his department was looking into increasing police presence in communities.

Recent reports reveals that 10 000 new recruits were trained last year while another 10 000 are undergoing training in 2023 to curb crime in South Africa.

Roets stressed that, on an individual level, a lot can be done by ensuring that farm security is as good as it should be by sharing new information on strengthening security.