South Africa Hanuman Temple Closed After Attack by Thugs

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NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, May 8, 2002: Indian farmers in KwaDukuza on the North Coast say they have become sitting ducks for criminals preying on remote farmsteads. Recent attacks on farmers and their workers in Doesburg and Nonoti, two communities outside the town, have prompted the local farm watch to beef up security in the area. Some owners say they may be forced to pack up and leave the farms on which they grew up if the crime spree continues. Police believe former farm laborers, released from prison after serving time for petty offenses, are behind the recent surge in crime in these semi-rural areas. Farmers were forced to abandon a Hanuman temple because of the escalating crime, moving the deities to a safe place. Naren Harikrishna, vice-chairman of the Darnall Farmers’ Association, said criminals were targeting not only Indians but also African and white farmers. The KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union said farm attacks had increased throughout the province. Koos Marais, who mans the crime desk, said 30 attacks and four murders had been recorded since the beginning of the year.