Agri SA has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national state of emergency to bring an end to scenes of unrest playing out in parts of the country.
“The looting of shops, stoning of cars, blocking of roads, burning of trucks and crops, as well as theft of livestock, are posing a serious threat to food security in the country,” said Christo van der Rheede, executive director of Agri SA.
“SA runs the risk of people not being able to buy or access food. This will lead to hunger and starvation on a national scale, which in turn will fuel even more social unrest and mayhem,” he said.
He said it was clear that criminals had no regard for law and order and that they would loot, destroy and steal until there was nothing left.
“Furthermore, SA is a constitutional state, and our constitution places a constitutional obligation on the state to protect its citizens against such criminality,” said Van der Rheede.