RESPONSE TO THE SUSPENTION OF THE KILLING OF TEN LIONS BY MEC OF
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (NORTH WEST)
The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West condemns
the attitude of the MEC of Agriculture and the white racist official
who advised him to cancel and withdraw the decision to kill the
ten-lions that mauled a ten-year boy (Tshepo Gaorupi) on 17th
June 2007 at Vryburg Tosca (Woodborrow farm)
The disappointment is as follows;
o that the MEC and its officials who were part of the discussions
of the past five days, after consulting their legal specialist,
agreed that the law allows the department to kill the ten lions;
o that after 10-12 hours waiting at the farm with the families,
members of the community, Department of Agriculture officials,
while waiting for support from the police who arrived at 19h35
to kill the lions, we were then told by one of the departmental
white officials, whom we were told that is one of those who is
against the killing of the lions, that the MEC of Agriculture
called and instructed the officials and the police to withdraw
the killings.
It is our view as the federation that the withdrawal is biassed
to racism and victimisation to the family who lost their boy
mauled by ten-lions and up to now not a single one public representative
or departmental official has visited the family on the matter.
Our position is that those lions are not more important than
the life of Tshepo Gaorupi. The withdrawal indicates to the people
of North West that the MEC and its white official advisors who
respect the lives of lions more than the lives of a human being
who was mauled by lions of a farm owner, Tommy Van Vuuren, the
farm owner who had lions with no license and is protected by
politicians and government officials because he is rich, while
the poor family is not protected by anybody because they have
nothing to offer to the politicians and bureaucrats.
COSATU still calls for the killing of those lions and demands that
the expired license of Mr Tommy Vanvuuren should not be renewed;
it must be cancelled and the rest of the 95 other lions be confiscated.
We call upon the support of all stake-holders in North West Province
to mobilize a protest action to the Departments of Agriculture,
Safety and Security and Justice to protect the rights of human
beings, including the re-opening of cases which involved the
killing of farm workers by farmers, e.g.
o A farm worker killed by a lion in Zeerust in 2005. The farm owner
was expected to appear in court on 7th May 2007 but did not appear;
therefore he must be arrested.
o A domestic worker mauled by a lion in Zeerust in 2006; nothing
has happened till today.
o A domestic worker beaten by a dog in Stella (Vryburg); nothing
has happened till today.
o A farm worker killed by a farmer using a vigilante group in 2000
in Brits (Kleinfontein); nothing has happened.
All the above cases are due to the fact that the poor workers'
rights are not respected and justice is biased to the rich.
COSATU is meeting on 10th July 2007 to develop a joint programme
with civil society to start the campaign against the killings,
racism, victimisation of farm workers and the rest of the poor
working class in North West Province.
For more information please feel free to contact Cosatu Provincial
Secretary, Solly Phetoe, on 082 304 4055