Australia to rescue white farmers?

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Australia considers fast-track visas for white South African farmers
Home affairs minister Peter Dutton says the group deserves 'special attention' due to the 'horrific circumstances' they face at home
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/14/dutton-considers-fast-track-visas-for-white-south-african-farmers

White South African farmers "deserve special attention" from Australia due to the "horrific circumstances" of land seizures and violence, Peter Dutton has said.

The home affairs minister told the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday his department was examining a range of methods to fast-track their path to Australia on humanitarian or other visa programs.

South Africa's new president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is pursuing legal changes to allow appropriation of farm lands without compensation for redistribution to black South Africans.

The policy has led to reports, including in the Australian media, that white farmers are being murdered at a rate of more than one per week.

"If you look at the footage and read the stories, you hear the accounts, it's a horrific circumstance they face," Dutton said.

The home affairs minister noted Australia has refugee, humanitarian and other visa programs which have the "potential to help some of these people". He said he had asked his department to look at the options "because from what I have seen they do do need help from a civilised country like ours".

"The people we're talking about want to work hard, they want to contribute to a country like Australia," Dutton said.

"We want people who want to come here, abide by our laws, integrate into our society, work hard, not lead a life on welfare. And I think these people deserve special attention and we're certainly applying that special attention now."

Dutton suggested options included the in-country persecution visa category, and to bring them to Australia on humanitarian visas via referrals from others in Australia.

He said the home affairs department was looking at ways to help "some of these horrific cases" and suggested an announcement could be made shortly.

Asked if this could be achieved with the South African government's cooperation, Dutton replied Australia "can work with governments all around the world".

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South Africa's white farmers reportedly being murdered & tortured off their land
https://www.rt.com/business/421562-africa-white-farmers-mudered/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

Violent attacks against South Africa's white farmers are on the rise, according to Paul Toohey, a reporter from Australia's Daily Telegraph, who traveled to the country.

Last month, South Africa's parliament voted to allow white-owned land expropriation without compensation. That followed South Africa's new President Cyril Ramaphosa's pledge to return the lands owned by white farmers since the 1600s to the black citizens of the country. He claimed the land was "taken under colonialism and apartheid."

"This is normal in South Africa to be attacked on a farm," a 39-year old farmer Berdus Henrico told the reporter.

Berdus and his 51-year old partner Estelle Nieuwenhuys have been raided in the Limpopo province. The farmer has three bullet wounds - two through his shoulder and one through his face that came out the back of his neck.

"They took my hunting gun, my shotgun, two cell phones, our DVD player, our TV," said Berdus, adding that Estelle was praying, out loud, begging them to stop.

"They want money and they want guns. They want the people off the land so as they can go on like they want to. They want it here like it was in Zimbabwe a few years ago when they chased all the whites out and let it go to the ground."

According to AfriForum, a group that was set up to draw attention to the farmers' plight, there were a record 404 farm attacks in 2017, four times the number recorded in the country a decade ago. The 2018 figures are expected to easily top last year's numbers.

AfriForum is trying to work with police and government to raise awareness.

"If we see a white farmer being tortured, being burned with torches or clothing irons, gang-raped, we don't see any focus on these cruel crimes," said Ian Cameron, head of AfriForum Community Safety.

The organization's statistics show the number of commercial farmers in South Africa declined from more than 60,000 to 35,000 during the past two decades. More than 60 percent of farm attack victims were over 50 years old.

Cameron explained that the government views farm attacks as "normal" crime.

"The cruelty that goes with farm attacks is disproportionate compared to other crime," he said. "An urban crime might last 10 minutes, but [on farms] people can be tortured for up to nine hours."

There is something warlike in the country, according to Cameron. "This country is damaged. We are psychologically damaged," he said.

South Africa has a population of over 50 million people. According to a 2017 government audit, white people own 72 percent of farmland.

The leader of South Africa's radical Marxist opposition party (the Economic Freedom Fighters) Julius Malema said recently the mayor of Port Elizabeth should be removed because he is white.

"We are cutting the throat of whiteness," said Malema.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=36&v=XT-YYWbcfhc

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South African politician attacks 'racist' Australia for sheltering fleeing white farmers
https://www.rt.com/business/422115-south-african-blasts-racist-australia/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

The leader of the South African opposition has called Australia racist over Canberra's emergency visas for white farmers. The farmers are allegedly facing assaults amid government calls for land seizure in favor of black citizens.

"We're too busy. Don't make noise, because you will irritate us. Go to Australia. It is only racists who went to Australia when Mandela got out of prison. It is only racists who went to Australia when 1994 came. It is the racists again who are going back to Australia," said the head of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema, who also denied white farmers were being killed.

"A racist country like Australia says: 'The white farmers are being killed in South Africa.' We are not killing them. Now Australia says: 'Malema, EFF want to kill white farmers, they must come to Australia.'

Last week, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton urged for sheltering white South African farmers after he saw a documentary about violent rural crime in the country. Dutton said that Australia would start fast-track humanitarian visas for those willing to flee to a "civilized country."

The claims came in the wake of reports on violent attacks on white farmers after the ruling African National Congress made the decision to expropriate farmlands from white citizens and transfer them to black farmers without compensation.

While the white population in the country makes up around nine percent, according to the latest census, white farmers reportedly own over 70 percent of agricultural lands.

The reform triggered a fierce debate both in the country and internationally. Afriforum, a South African civil rights group said that 82 people were killed in a record 423 attacks on farms in 2017, and there have been 109 attacks and more than 15 murders this year so far. The country's law enforcement have treated the attacks on farmers as common crimes.

According to the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa, the current situation jeopardizes commercial farming in the region. The organization warns that the country may repeat the mistake made by the government of Zimbabwe, a country which plunged into famine after a government-sanctioned purge of white farmers in 1999-2000.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR7i3jgyoPQ

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White South African farmers claiming persecution at home seek refuge in Australia
https://www.rt.com/business/427405-south-african-farmers-visas-australia/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

More than 200 farmers from South Africa have applied for humanitarian visas in Australia after allegedly suffering attacks for being white, according to the Australian Home Affairs Ministry.

"The type of criteria they of course have to meet – or the key one – is evidence of persecution, so that's exactly what we will be looking at," Home Affairs Deputy Secretary Malisa Golightly said. Home Affairs said 89 refugee visa applications relating to 213 people had been received, although they did not specify their ethnicity or any other details.

News reports emerged earlier this year revealing that white farmers in South Africa had faced persecution after the country's government approved a new law allowing for the confiscation of their lands, which would be transferred to black citizens.

Following the reports, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton announced his willingness to start fast-tracking humanitarian visas for South Africans who had endured violent rural crime at home and wished to move Down Under. The step was slammed by the South African opposition, which called Australia, and those willing to escape there, 'racist.'

The controversial legislation was endorsed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who pledged to hand the lands owned by white farmers since the 1600s to black citizens of the country without compensation for the owners. South Africa's 50 million citizens are predominantly black, but 72 percent of farmland reportedly belongs to whites.

The legislation evoked strong disapproval both in the country and internationally, with a reported upsurge in violence against white farmers. Last year, some 82 people were killed in a record 423 farm attacks, and there have been 109 attacks and more than 15 murders in 2018, Afriforum, a South African civil rights group reported in March.

The controversial reform may jeopardize commercial farming in the country, according to the Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa. Experts say that the South African government may repeat the mistake made by the government of Zimbabwe, which had passed through a state-sanctioned purge of white farmers in 1999-2000. The measure plunged the country into famine.