Farmers protesting against farm murders have handed a memorandum to Mpumalanga police demanding the agriculture minister be investigated for hate speech and inciting murder, AfriForum said on Tuesday.

"Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Lulu Xingwana, and her deputy Dirk du Toit, [are] part of those who incite hate against farmers by means of false accusations and generalisations which portray farmers in a bad light," said Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel.

AfriForum, formed by the Solidarity trade union, handed the memorandum to police during a protest held in Groblersdal on Tuesday.

They asked that police launch an investigation into the role played by "hate speech" of politicians in inciting people to murder farmers.

"These generalisations, together with slogans such as 'one settler, one bullet!' and 'Kill the Boer, kill the farmer!', as well as 'Maak dood die wit man' which were recently used during the ANC's protest actions in Swartruggens, create a dangerous breeding-ground for farm murders."

Kriel said ANC politicians remained quiet about murders of whites such as of Johan Myburgh, recently killed near Groblersdal, but overexposed allegations about transgressions by farmers, such as the Skielik killings a few months ago.

"It is proof of double standards which may only serve to inflame tension in the country to an even larger degree."

The Ministry said Afriforum and the farmers had a right to protest.

"Democracy allows that," said Godfrey Mdhluli, spokesperson for the ministry.

"At one time they (Afriforum and Solidarity) reported us to the Human Rights Commission and we are still waiting for a result."

Mdhluli said that if Afriforum and Solidarity had an issue with the ministry they should make representations to AgriSA and the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU), so that they can speak on their behalf at the next meeting of the Minister and the principals of agriculture, which happens every two months.

Mdluli quoted two cases where he said that the dignity and human rights of farm dwellers were degraded by farmers who removed the graves of people earlier in April and planted cabbages.

"We did not raise these issues in protest, [but put them through the right channels]."

"The ministry condemns all farm killings. Whether it be against farm workers, farm dwellers or farmers we condemn it in the strongest terms," Mdluli said.

Sapa