FF Plus Urges Ramaphosa to Condemn Farm Murders After Hannetjie van Zyl Killed Near Ottosdal
- 55-year-old Hannetjie van Zyl died after being struck on the head at her farm gate near Ottosdal in the North West
- FF Plus MP Dr Corné Mulder called on President Ramaphosa to offer condolences to the Van Zyl family and take a clear stance on rural crime
- The party also demanded that Ramaphosa explicitly denounce the controversial song Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer
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NORTH WEST — Political pressure is mounting on President Cyril Ramaphosa to break his silence on rural violence following the fatal assault of 55-year-old Hannetjie van Zyl outside Ottosdal.
The North West farmer sustained severe head injuries when an unknown attacker struck her at her property entrance on 5 October 2026. She succumbed to her wounds en route to medical care. Extending sympathy to the bereaved household, the Freedom Front Plus highlighted the tragic incident as evidence of the continuous peril confronting South African agricultural workers and landowners.
Demands for executive action
Addressing the government, FF Plus Member of Parliament Dr Corné Mulder urged the head of state to step forward and address the tragedy directly. Mulder requested that Ramaphosa formally deliver sympathies to Van Zyl's relatives, take a decisive stance regarding rural crime, and publicly repudiate the "Kill the Boer" chant, which the USA's Ambassador Brent Bozell III called on Ramaphosa to condemn.
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According to the party, executive inaction regarding these fatal assaults signals indifference to potential offenders while leaving farming populations feeling exposed and unprotected.
Escalating objections regarding agricultural security
This latest appeal aligns with wider demands from agricultural sector representatives and parliamentary opponents who insist the administration classify countryside safety as an urgent national concern. Lawmakers face ongoing criticism for failing to implement specialized security strategies or deploy adequate police resources to remote districts.
With police stations often situated far from isolated homesteads, the Ottosdal tragedy has amplified demands for immediate interventions to shorten emergency response times and secure farming territories.
Free State farmer killed in Free State
In a related article, Briefly News reported on Itumeleng Lengana, a young Free State farmer who was shot and killed on her Kareepoort farm after an alleged dispute over roaming cattle. Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp visited Lengana’s family and called for those responsible to face justice.
Her death has prompted grief and renewed questions about safety in rural communities, with fellow farmers remembering him as a generous mentor. At the time of publication, no arrests had been publicly confirmed.
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Source: Briefly News
