29/02/2004 23:09 - (SA)
Marietie Louw - Die Beeld1st March 2004 mlouw1
Translated by Debbie Wren
Te voet van Musina (Messina) in Limpopo na Durban in KwaZulu-Natal - meer as 1 000 km.
A 1000 KM walk from Messina, Limpopo to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Dis hoe ver die Tabita-organisasie bereid is om te gaan om geld vir die slagoffers van plaasaanvalle in te samel én die regering te oortuig om die erns van sulke aanvalle in te sien.
This is how far the Tabita Organisation is prepared to go to raise funds for the victims of farm murders and to emphasize to the Government the seriousness of these attacks.
Dis hoog tyd dat só 'n staptog in Suid-Afrika aangepak word, sê mev. Lita Fourie van die organisasie.
'It is high time a walk like this should be organised in South Africa', said Mrs Lita Fourie of the Tabita Organisation.
"Daar was al só 'n staptog in Engeland, maar nog niks hier nie.
'There has already been such a walk in England, but not here yet.'
"Ons kan nie langer swyg oor die gevolge van plaasaanvalle en -moorde nie."
'We can no longer ignore the consequences of farm attacks and murders'
Mnr. Malcolm Wren, 'n Suid-Afrikaner wat in Engeland woon, en mnr. Anthony LoBaido, 'n Amerikaanse joernalis, het verlede jaar in Engeland 'n staptog teen plaasmoorde onderneem. Hulle het 1 500 geel linte versprei ter nagedagtenis van die meer as 1 500 boere, wat sedert 1994 in plaasaanvalle in Suid-Afrika vermoor is.
Mr Malcolm Wren, a South African who lives in England and Mr Anthony Lobaido, an American journalist, walked in protest against farm murders last year (July 2003). They hung 1500 yellow ribbons along the route from Avonmouth to Gravesend in remembrance of over 1500 farmers, who have been killed in farm attacks in South Africa since 1994.
Die Tabita-organisasie is verlede jaar gestig om die slagoffers van plaasaanvalle met berading en geldelike hulp by te staan.
The Tabita Organisation was founded last year to offer counseling and funds to the farm victims.
Volgens Fourie gaan die slagoffers van plaasaanvalle hulle in byna elke dorp tussen Musina en Durban by die Tabita-stappers en ander vrywilligers aansluit. " 'n Slagoffer van Mookgopong (Naboomspruit) wat verlam is ná 'n plaasaanval sal vir 'n ent saam met die stappers in sy rolstoel gestoot word."
According to Mrs Fourie, the victims of farm attacks are going to join the Tabita Walkers and other volunteers in nearly every town between Messina and Durban. 'A victim from Mookgopong (Naboomspruit) who was paralysed after a farm attack, will also join the walkers, being pushed for a short distance in his wheelchair.'
Kruise met die name van slagoffers sal elke 500 m geplant word.
Crosses with the name of the victims will be placed every 500 meters.
Die stappers sal by polisie kantore op verskeie dorpe petisies oorhandig om die regering te vra om die slagoffers van aanvalle te help.
The walkers will hand in petitions at police stations in various towns to request the Government to help the victims of farm attacks.
"Die regering moet sien hoe dit gesinne en families geldelik ruïneer," sê Fourie.
'The Government has to see the extent to which families are being ruined financially', says Mrs Fourie.
Haar ouers is in 2000 in die Gravelotte-omgewing in Limpopo vermoor. Mnr. John Cross (77) en sy vrou, Bina (76), is albei in die knieë geskiet en sowat sewe uur gemartel. John Cross is ook met 'n haelgeweer in die gesig geskiet.
Her parents were murdered in the Gravelotte district in Limopopo in the year 2000. Mr John Cross (77) and his wife Bina (76) were both shot in the knees and were tortured for about seven hours. John Cross was also shot in the face with a shotgun.
Lita Fourie founded Tabita, a support organisation for victims of farm attacks, after her parents, John Cross, 77, and Bina, 76, were murdered at their farm in Limpopo province, South Africa, on April 16 2000.
"It was two men who had worked for my parents on the farm for many years. They broke into the house at 8.30am on a Sunday when my parents were at church and waited for them to come back. They got home at 3.15pm.
"They shot my mum three times, through the knees and through the back.
She was not immediately dead; she died from blood loss after about 25 minutes. During that time they poured boiling water from the kettle over her.
"My dad they tied up in the bathroom, they tied him by the neck. They slapped him and put him in the bath. Boiling water was poured down his throat. The postmortem showed that he was burnt inside and that his stomach was full of water. It lasted five hours.
"Why do that? I don't know why they were so violent. I think it's hatred. It must be race hatred. I think they did it for satisfaction. But my parents were old people, they were very good with their staff.
"They got away with £7,000 worth of household things, clothes, cash, some guns. They were caught and sentenced to 50 years for murder. They weren't sorry.
"But I don't hate them. I tell other people who have been attacked ... you must not want to kill them."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafrica/story/0,13262,1049934,00.html
A farm murder
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