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Legal battle looms for Cosatu in North West

───   07:55 Tue, 25 Oct 2016

Legal battle looms for Cosatu in North West | News Article

Klerksdorp - Lawyers representing a North West farmer contemplate to drag the Congress of SA Trade Union (Cosatu) in North West to the Equality Court for hate speech.


Cosatu North West provincial secretary, Job Dliso, on October 18 issued a statement that a farmer at Brakspruit near Klerksdorp had dug trenches surrounding the houses of the community, the farmer denied the community access to the cemetery and there was no water supply, electricity, and toilets to use.

Clarissa Pienaar from law firm Moolman and Pienaar Inc acting onbehalf of the trustees of the Lewis Landgoed Trust, the owner of various farms, named Brakspruit, on Monday denied allegations levelled against her client.


She said the ditch Cosatu refer to, was effected as a result of the agreement reached, and access to the cemetery was from the public road, as such there was no impediment whatsoever to stop any person from having access to the cemetery.

She added that her client was not responsible for the supply of water and electricity and called on Cosatu to withdraw the statement or risked being hauled before Equality Court.

“You are invited to file an unequivocal apology to our client and do so in the press, on Monday 24 October 2016, reflecting the true state of affairs, and record the correct facts as stated above. In this apology, you are invited to withdraw the averments that our client is a racist or oppressor.

“Should you fail to do so, we hold instructions to apply for the appropriate relief, including referral of this matter to the Equality Court, and to declare this press release as hate speech [as defined],” she said.

She said her client, in complying with its obligations in terms of the agreement reached with the department (of rural development and land reforms in Klerksdorp), now faces animosity and violence as a result of Cosatu’s false allegations and incitement .

Dliso said Cosatu would fight for the right of the farm dwellers.

“Cosatu would not fold its arms when our people are still oppressed and victimised by racist farmers. We are going to fight for the right of those community members.”

Lydia Koloane, 52, said a child had already fell into the ditch.

“Luckily there was not water in that trench, the child could have drowned. We have been living in peace here until the new owner arrive,” she said.

Koloane said she had been living at the farm since 1981.

ANA

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