Agri Securitas Trust Fund Media Release
Agri Tuinplaas Oesfees – 13 Mei 2017
May 2, 2017
Agbiz Morning Market Viewpoint on Agri-Commodities: 03 May 2017.
May 3, 2017
FARM WORKER SERIOUSLY TRAUMATISED
“A farm worker and his wife are so traumatised after a farm attack that they no longer wish to live on the farm. For this reason, the Agri Securitas Trust Fund, which has over the years offered trauma counselling to farming communities, has assisted these farm workers with counselling,” said Japie Grobler, chair of the Agri Securitas Trust Fund.
According to Grobler, “farm workers play an important role in the daily activities on a farm therefore we as the farming community must ensure that they receive support when suffering serious trauma after a farm attack. We are grateful that we can make a contribution in this way towards healing the lives of these people.”
The incident occurred on a farm in the Hertzogville district in the Free State when stock thieves targeted the farmer’s feedlot business in the small hours of the night. While investigating, the farmer fired shots into the air. The police were called but no suspects were found in the vicinity of the feedlot. In the meantime, the farm worker and his wife joined the farmer to assist him. Since no suspects were found, everyone returned to their homes.
When the farm worker and his wife arrived at their house, four suspects were waiting and attacked them. The farm worker sustained various knife wounds and his wife was badly assaulted. The farmer rushed them to the local hospital where they received the necessary treatment.
According to Free State Agriculture, there have been twelve attacks on farm workers during the past year with one murder. These workers were brutally assaulted and are becoming increasingly afraid to live on farms, preferring to relocate to towns. This poses further challenges for effective farm management. “Attacks on farmers and farm workers should be strongly condemned at all levels of society because the country relies on its farming community to put food on their tables every day and to ensure that the country remains self-sufficient in terms of food,” concluded Grobler.
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