Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp Says He Would Shoot Anyone Threatening His Family on His Farm
- Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp made the remarks during an interview on the Afrikaans news show Nuuspod, where farm attacks were discussed
- Vrystaat Landbou chairperson Francois Wilken alleged that farmers who apprehend criminals sometimes face charges themselves
- Aucamp proposed appointing specialist prosecutors to assess cases involving farmers and distinguish lawful self-defence from criminal conduct
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SOUTH AFRICA — Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp has stated publicly that he would shoot and kill any person who enters his farm and threatens his wife and children.
According to NewsDay, Aucamp made the declaration during an interview on the Afrikaans news show Nuuspod, in a discussion focused on farm attacks and rural crime.
Aucamp threatens to shoot any invader
Aucamp said that anyone who come threatens his wife and children would be shot.
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"I am telling you this right here today. If they want to do something to me, they must do it. I will shoot him dead if he threatens my wife and my children."
The minister called on South Africans not to shy away from protecting themselves, pointing to legal provisions that exist in the country.
"We must never be afraid to do the right thing. The law protects you. There is such a thing as self-defence. I studied law myself," he said.
Farmers allege police side with criminals
Aucamp's remarks came alongside testimony from Vrystaat Landbou chairperson Francois Wilken, who raised alarm about what he described as an inadequate police response to livestock theft and rural crime.
Wilken alleged that farmers who intervene to apprehend suspected criminals are sometimes pursued by the police rather than recognised for their efforts.
"In cases where the farmer intervened and arrested the criminal, the farmer often becomes the person who is targeted by the police," he said.
He further claimed that certain police officers assist suspects in constructing cases against the farmers who detained them, discouraging rural communities from cooperating with law enforcement.
"In a normal democracy, the police are on the side of law-abiding citizens. In South Africa, the police are on the side of the criminals," Wilken said.
See X post about the interview here:
Aucamp calls for specialist prosecutors
While acknowledging the concerns raised, Aucamp noted that policing and the administration of justice fall under the Department of Justice and the South African Police Service, outside his direct mandate as Agriculture Minister.
He nonetheless proposed the appointment of specialist prosecutors who could evaluate cases involving farmers and determine whether actions constituted legitimate self-defence or a citizen's arrest.
Afriforum calls police minister to deal with farm attacks
Briefly News also reported that civil rights organisation AfriForum issued a formal demand to Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, calling for urgent and targeted action against farm attacks following the assault on farmer Donovan Marx in North West province on 28 October 2026. AfriForum called on the South African Police Service and political leadership responsible for policing to demonstrate through concrete steps that violent crimes against farmers and rural residents are being treated with the seriousness they deserve.
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Source: Briefly News
