Racial killing of farm workers
The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West has learned with disappointment that farm workers in the area of DR Ruth Momphati district are still facing racial attacks, racial assaults and racial killing by farmers.
The two farm workers who were shocked with electric wire by farmer called Mr T Kloete at his farm during working hours is a clear picture that farm workers are not protected, and are not safe at all (see report).
A farm worker, Bakang Maleko, was racially killed by a farmer and a worker was assaulted on 3 September 2012 and the farmer tried to bribe the other worker not report to the police what happened. This is the picture that farm workers face on a daily basis and they are threatened that if they report such racist attitudes they will lose their jobs and their accommodation.
COSATU NW has been on the public media on the same matter of farm workers being killed by white racist farmers and alleging that that our police, our prosecutors, and some of the politicians who criticize COSATU, are racist.
In the same area in 2009 a farm worker was killed in the same manner that Bakang Maleko, and the farm worker, Lebogang Mosikare, were killed in the same area. No arrest was made until today; this is what we are saying that some of the investigators and prosecution are looking on what you have in your bank statement.
Racism in the NW is there every day, every minute, every hour and farm workers and their families are faced with this animal at their workplace and home.
When ET was killed by his own farm workers, politicians, government officials and the police acted quickly but when farm workers are killed in the manner that Lebogang Mosikare and Bakang are killed no one speaks because those poor workers have no bank statements that are full of money.
It is about time that as the federation we take action. We will have to respond and defend our poor farm workers who are racially killed on a daily basis by those racist farmers in the NW. If it means we must be killed for defending our rights, defending the lives of poor farm workers, let it be. We have had too much for too long.
Our democracy is under attacks by opportunists, who include the same political parties and capitalists who want to see us going back to the old apartheid era and we will not allow that as the federation.
We call on the police and the investigators not take sides. We call on the NPA to act on this killing of farm workers as they did with ET case in Ventersdorp.
We call for that racist farmer who killed Lebogang in 2009 to be arrested now and that the racist farmer and his who killed Bakang at Gemsbok farm not to be given bail. They are racist, they must rot in jail and the rest of all racist farmers who killed workers must be re-arrested and be prosecuted by the NPA.
Statement issued by COSATU North West Provincial Secretary Solly Phetoe, September 5 2012
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