The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) commends the police for their swift action in arresting a man on whose farm they discovered a body of a young man buried in a shallow grave in Kroonstad.

Police made the gruesome discovery on 20 August following a tip-off from the community. The 80-year-old farmer has been arrested and charged with murder and defeating the ends of justice and is expected to appear in court soon. Further arrests in the case are likely.

It is alleged that the deceased worked on the farm; that he and the farm owner quarrelled over wages, and the latter shot and killed him and buried him in a shallow grave on the property to hide evidence. DNA samples were collected to confirm the identity of the deceased because the body was in an advance state of decomposition.

COSATU is enraged that 31 years after the democratic breakthrough we still have workers brutally murdered at work, and in this case, allegedly at the hands of his employer. Even more deplorable is the attempt to hide the evidence of this heinous act.

The allegation that a wage dispute is what led to the murder of the young man is deeply worrying. It stirs up past wounds of a society defined along racial lines, where the lives of one race were considered valuable, while those of an entire group were deemed cheap and could be snuffed out in an instant. It also illustrates the unbearable conditions under which farmworkers are expected to work daily. COSATU will continue to support and accompany the Department of Employment and Labour to onsite inspections of farms to ensure that farm owners comply with relevant laws and that workers are not made to endure harsh working conditions.

The Federation calls on law enforcement agencies to carry out a thorough investigation and ensure the perpetrators of this heinous crime face the full might of the law.

Issued by COSATU   

Zanele Sabela (COSATU National Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 or 077 600 6639
Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za