Cops fire on Robertson farmworkers
2013-01-16 14:39
Cape Town - Protesting Western Cape farmworkers were injured
by rubber bullets in Robertson on Wednesday, the Mawubuye Land Rights Forum
said.
The forum's Denia Jansen said the Robertson police captain
had apparently agreed to allow farmworkers to peacefully protest in Nkqubela in
the morning, with more than 800 workers taking part.
"Shortly into the protest, other police officers
entered the road with guns and opened fire [with rubber bullets] on the
protesters, forcing them back into their communities," she said.
Retaliation
Captain Marshall Klaasten, Robertson's station commander,
denied this version of events, saying no permission was ever given.
He said protesters blocked a busy traffic circle in town and
he asked them to move so that cars could pass through.
The group refused and he had a discussion with his peers,
eventually returning to tell them they could not protest.
"The negotiations lasted from 06:20 to 10:05. They
agreed to walk back to the township. When they entered, they started throwing
stones at police from their houses. A lot of public were around," Klaasten
said.
He said rubber bullets were fired in retaliation to protect
civilians.
Jansen said the forum had phoned the Human Rights Commission
to "look into the matter".
She said workers had agreed to issue letters to the 32
farmers in the area, asking for negotiations around their daily wage demand of
R150.
Farmworkers went on strike last year to demand their daily
wage be increased from R69 to R150, and that a coherent land reform programme
be implemented.
The strike was suspended in December, but resumed on
Wednesday last week in various towns in the province.
Clanwilliam deal
According to the Congress of SA Trade Unions, a wage deal of
R105 a day was brokered with a "significant amount" of farmers in
Clanwilliam on Tuesday.
He said this was a model agreement that could be used in other
towns to possibly end the strike, which had been violent at times.
The labour department is hosting an extra set of public
hearings this week to garner opinions of directly affected workers, amid a
review of the sector's minimum wage.
Labour standards director Titus Mtsweni said the process of
writing up a report on the outcome of last year's public hearings was already
underway.
Hearings would take place in De Doorns, Robertson,
Oudtshoorn and Vredendal.
Principal provincial traffic inspector Jacques Mostert said
the N1 remained closed at De Doorns, the epicentre of protest action.
He said motorists would have to take the Orchards offramp to
get to De Doorns.
On Wednesday morning, there were reports of stones being
thrown at cars by protesters in Wolseley.
Mostert said no casualties were reported.
Sporadic incidents
Western Cape police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said
there were sporadic reported incidents involving striking workers in some areas
on Wednesday.
"Members are deployed in all these affected areas to
ensure the safety of all. The police and other law enforcement agencies will
continue to monitor the situation and act where the situation requires it.
Bronagh Casey, spokesperson for education MEC Donald Grant,
said schools and their transport schemes were operating as usual in the Cape
Winelands district.
"All schools have high attendance, except for one in De
Doorns, which is just over 50% capacity. This school is operating as per normal
though," she said.
- SAPA
