TAU SA thanked the Freedom Front Plus for the fact that they raised the problem of farm attacks in parliament, and that South Africa and the world would now know the conditions South African commercial farmers have to work.
However, it is disappointing, even alarming, that an ANC MP made an interjection during Dr. Groenewald’s speech saying “they should be buried alive” referring to the farmers, and that the Speaker did not address this remark immediately.
Similarly alarming is the fact that members of parliament, especially Agang and the EFF, used their parliamentary privilege to abuse vagueness, generalizations and even supposedly proclaim blatant untruths, and again there was no address to these remarks.
TAU challenges any political party or trade union to come up with concrete facts where general allegations are made that farmers treated workers worse than pigs or where farmers pay their workers with alcohol and farmers rejoice in the suffering of workers.
“There are more than enough government institutions that will happily act and take action against individuals who are guilty of such grievances. Over generations, the majority of commercial farmers have built up an excellent relationship with their workers. They refuse to be treated the same as lawless exceptions by opportunistic politicians who try to justify the murders and tortures on the farms,” said Mr. Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TAU SA.
“Just as farmers will not be accused of stealing land, they also refuse to be falsely accused of poor labor relations. Should this occur, it is because the Department of Labor is not doing their job. Therefore, TAU challenges Agang and EFF to support their allegations with concrete facts. Until then the Speaker should address them on their unfounded and untested claims.”
“At the same time they should openly say whether any alleged action, brutal murder, torture, rape is fair,” said Mr. Van Zyl.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger
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