1.) The statement issued by Solly Phetoe, COSATU North West provincial secretary:
KILLING OF FARM BY A WORKER RACIST FARMER AT SWARTRUGGENS
The Congress of South African Trade Unions condemns the racial shooting of an African, David Mohaule, who was allegedly killed by a racist farmer called Willem Butie Rochia on 23rd January 2010 at Swartruggens. He alleges that the poor worker was stealing cows from his farm.
The people in this province, including the police, in particular at Swartruggens, Koster and the Surrounding farms, know Willem Rochia very well. He is a real racist who hates black people. Many cases were reported to the police in the area, but because he has money and has a good friendship with the magistrate at Swartruggens nothing has happened to him.
In 2008 during the trial of the racist Johan Nel of Swartruggens for the Skierlik killings, Rochia was one of his supporters. He was one of the white people who continues with racial attacks against workers including the people of Swartruggens. Threats were made against the COSATU leadership for being vocal on exposing racism and racist farmers.
The same Rochia assaulted a 19 year old boy assisted by a police man. The poor young boy was put into a fridge by him and a black policeman who is still employed by the SAPS even after complaints about his attitude towards poor people and poor workers.
Rochia killed a person again in 2010. When are we going to be free in our province? Poor workers are racially killed assaulted and evicted by farmers but nothing happens to the farmers due to their capital power (money).
Many farmers have been arrested for racial assault, illegal fire arm possession, racial killing, illegal eviction, yet all of them are free today due to their capital power that they are using and their friendship with Department of Justice.
COSATU in the province will not stop exposing this type of racism and will continue to fight against racist killings racial exploitation and discrimination in all sectors.
Threats or taking COSATU leadership to Human Rights Commission for alleged hate speech will not stop us to fight. COSATU is going to expose all the racists including the police and the Department of Justice who are working together with the murderers of our society. Nobody has the right to kill.
COSATU condemns all forms of racism, white, black, etc.
Statement issued by COSATU North West Provincial Secretary Comrade Solly Phetoe January 25 2010
2.) The statement issued by Ben Marais, President of the TAU:
Boer in tronk oor selfverdediging
TLU SA is hoogs beswaard oor die feit dat sy voorsitter van die Wes-Streek, mnr. Wilhelm Rochér, ‘n naweek in die tronk moes deurbring en op aanklagte van moord moet teregstaan nadat hy sy lewe en eiendom moes beskerm teen misdadigers, sê sy president, mnr. Ben Marais.
Vrydagaand is inligting ontvang dat vee gesteel is. Mnr. Rochér het saam met ander boere, die veediewe opgespoor en voorgekeer, en vasgestel dat twee beeste reeds opgekap in die diewe se voertuig was. Die veediewe was gewapen en het op die boere begin skiet, nadat drie waarskuwingskote geskiet is. Een van die waarskuwingskote was waarskynlik ‘n opslagkoeël, wat een van die diewe in die boud getref het, en oënskynlik wil dit voorkom of hy weens ‘n ander rede dood is as die skietwond.
Nietemin is mnr. Rochér gearresteer, asook een van die veediewe, en ‘n naweek lank aangehou. Hy is Maandag op R5 000 borgtog vrygelaat.
Berigte in die media het reeds daarop gedui dat ‘n polisieverslag meld dat die dief wat geskiet is, sy hand agter sy rug gehou het, en dit gelyk het of hy ‘n wapen uit sy sak wou haal. Indien hierdie bewering waar is, staaf dit die aanspraak van mnr. Rochér dat uit selfverdediging opgetree is, en die feit dat daar oor en weer geskiet is, dui daarop dat die misdadigers boonop gevaarlik was. Om ‘n bekende en vooraanstaande boer dan toe te sluit, word gesien as ‘n doelbewuste poging om hom te verneder, nog voordat die ondersoek behoorlik afgehandel word.
Die feit dat boere self moes inspring om veediewe te gaan voorlê, nadat oor die afgelope maande reeds 95 beeste ter waarde van ongeveer R665 000 gesteel is, is ‘n klad op die polisie se naam, omdat hulle skynbaar nie die vermoë of die wil het om boere te help in hulle oorlewingstryd teen veediewe nie. Trouens, reeds so lank gelede as Augustus verlede jaar was daar ‘n ooreenkoms met die polisie aangegaan dat ‘n taakspan aangestel sal word om veediefstal te ondersoek in die Swartruggens omgewing. "Dit het nie gebeur nie, met die gevolg dat hierdie gebeure toegeskryf kan word aan verbreekte beloftes, pligsversuim en die stelsel wat gefaal het," sê mnr. Marais. "Bowendien het TLU SA betroubare inligting wat daarop dui dat daar mense in die SAPD se distrikskantoor op Rustenburg, asook by die Landbank, werksaam is waarvan die familie by veediefstal betrokke is. Dit vererger die situasie."
TLU SA sal die verloop van die saak fyn dophou, en sal alle moontlike hulp aan mnr. Rochér verleen in hierdie saak, maar ook met ‘n moontlike verdere aksie teen die polisie as dit sou blyk dat hier onregmatig opgetree is, soos dit tans wil voorkom.
Statement issued by Mr. Ben Marais, TAU SA, January 25 2010
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