Farm strike chaos as vehicles set alight, strikers clash with police

VEHICLES were set alight and the N1 was barricaded with rocks and burning tyres as thousands of striking farmworkers took to the streets in De Doorns to demand higher wages.

Police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowds. By late yesterday the N1 was still closed and traffic was being diverted through the town.

Yesterday morning the protesters, who say they are striking farmworkers, marched along the N1 trying to get access to the town’s centre but were prevented by police and private security guards.

They then went on a ram- page and set alight a bulldozer and an old caravan at a wine stall at the town’s entrance.

Veld fires were started at the stall and neighbouring farms by some of the protesters. They made another attempt to go into the town’s centre, but they were turned back by the police.

Some in the group went back to the Stofland Sports Field where they had gathered in the morning.

A vehicle belonging to the Cape Times was stoned, overturned and set alight. The reporters escaped with minor injuries.

Earlier, Black Agricultural Workers Union of SA (Bawusa) member Lunga Yanta instructed protesters to close down the N1. People then threw rocks at passing vehicles, including three trucks that had to turn around after protesters attempted to attack them.

“They want to shoot at you. The police want to kill you, (you) must fight back,” Yanta said. He also instructed protesters to break down vibracrete fencing around the informal settlement on the side of the N1. There were pockets of about 50 people on roads near farms. Most of the protesters, about 300 people, were stationed on a bridge leading to Stofland informal settlement, off the N1. Some of the people, armed with sticks, marched up and down the bridge.

Just before 10am there was a stand-off between police and the crowd when stones were hurled at police nyalas from a bridge over the N1.

The group, about 30 people, retreated to the informal settlement while another group of about 200 toyi-toyied at the sportsfield.

Bawusa general secretary Nosey Pieterse said he had been injured during a protest march he had led on the N1 in De Doorns when it descended into chaos as police stopped them. “There were two nyalas behind us and they came through the crowd to take up position in front of us.

“Then a stun grenade was thrown at me and the next thing police opened fire with rubber bullets,” he said.

Pieterse said a rubber bullet hit his right arm.

“Then all hell broke loose. People shouted: ‘They shot our leader, they shot our leader’ and then I had no control over the crowd. People went berserk. It was bad, really ugly,” he said.

Pieterse said he continually

received reports of strike action in other areas and would today be able to indicate how many workers participated.

Some farmworkers who spoke to the Cape Times said they were so poor they had no money to see the doctor. One woman from De Doorns said her dinner was pap and sugar.

Another woman, who had come from Aberdeen to work in De Doorns in the hope of sending money back to her family in the impoverished Eastern Cape town, said she had been unable to do so because there was no money left over from her wages.

Police spokesman Andre Traut said 44 people arrested yesterday in De Doorns, Grabouw, Somerset West and Citrusdal would face charges of public violence, illegal gathering and looting.

“In De Doorns vehicles were pelted with stones during sporadic outbreaks of violence. In all the places where there were incidents of violence police dealt with (it) and remained in control. We won’t tolerate any lawlessness. We have also noticed and we urge people not to spread rumours of violence via social networks,” he said.

Police would remain out in force. “The Western Cape will remain in control and will use force when necessary,” he said.

In Grabouw protesters looted a shop. Police arrived and there was a clash between the crowd and police, who fired stun grenades.