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Farmers could face 100+ cases
17/07/2007 11:44 - (SA)
Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane
Nelspruit - Mpumalanga police will know by the end of this week if more than 100 cases they have re-investigated against farmers accused of abusing their workers will go back to court.
The farmers face charges ranging from murder to attempted murder, assault and illegal evictions.
"We have a strong feeling that the cases will be referred back to court, but we cannot comment until a decision is made by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)," said Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi, spokesperson for provincial police commissioner Afrika Khumalo.
Khumalo had ordered that the cases, mainly in the Wakkerstroom area, be reinvestigated following allegations that they were thrown out of court because of a cosy relationship between farmers, police, prosecutors and magistrates in the area.
The Landless People's Movement (LPM) have lobbied police and government to overhaul the justice system in Wakkerstroom.
"People are still being tortured and treated like slaves right inside a free South Africa," said LPM spokesperson Andile Mngxitama.
He said many cases involved farmers who were also members of the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) commando system.
The situation in Wakkerstroom prompted the international human rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch, to investigate and led to government's decision to dismantle the commando system nationally.
The system is expected to be completely phased out by 2009 and replaced with sector policing units.
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