The Afrikanerbond has condemned a Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) Freedom Day message suggesting that farm workers are being abused and murdered.
”To accuse farm owners that their workers are being treated like slaves and that workers are being abused and even murdered is extremely irresponsible,” Afrikanerbond MD Jan Bosman said on Monday.
He said the message tried to drive a wedge between farm workers and owners with unfounded allegations and vague insinuations. Cosatu cannot be allowed to make unfounded and false accusations and expect to get away with it.
”Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility and organisations representing the workers, like Cosatu, must act responsibly,” Bosman said.
Cosatu needs to bring urgently the necessary evidence to corroborate its allegations of abuse and murder of farm workers, or cease the allegations immediately.
He said pronouncements made by Cosatu play in the hands of criminal elements who target farm owners and their workers, sometimes with fatal and devastating consequences. — Sapa