South Africa farm strike turns more violent

More violence was reported on Friday as the strike by farmworkers in South Africa’s Western Cape Province entered its third day, authorities said.

Latest figures released by police showed that more than 80 protesters have been arrested since the strike began on Wednesday.

The detainees were suspected of attacking passing cars, vandalizing and looting, police said.

In the towns of Clanwilliam and Riviersonderend, protesters threw rocks and stones at police officers who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas.

Witnesses said the towns looked like battle fields with all roads blocked by rocks and burning tyres.

One witness, who gave her name only as Pedder, said she saw one protester’s facing bleeding after possibly being hit by a rubber bullet.

Also on Friday, the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) condemned the violence, saying it was uncalled for.

FEDUSA President Koos Bezuidenhout said striking farm workers continued to intimidate non-striking farm laborers, barring them from going to work.

As the strike was dragging on, some farmworkers kept working in the fields. One farmworker, who refused to be named for the sake of his own security , said he could not afford to lose the daily wage.

“I’ve a family of four to support. We need money to buy food. The unions can’t pay me,” he said.

Meanwhile, some farmers agreed to resume wage talks which broke down last December.

Cape Orchard Company chairperson Gerhard de Kock announced that he would begin talks independently with the unions to find a solution to the on-going violent strike.

“It’s not a question of not having faith in Agri SA. What is a fact, and people don’t like it, is that Agri SA can never have a mandate to talk on behalf on an individual entrepreneur,” De Kock told the EyeWitness News.

Agri SA, an association of farm owners, took part in previous negotiations with farmworkers. But the association was blamed for offering nothing in the talks, prompting farmworkers to resume the strike on Wednesday.

The farmworkers are demanding for better living conditions and a rise in salaries from the current 70 rands (about 8 U. S. dollars) daily to 150 rands (about 17 dollars) per day. But farm owners say it is beyond their ability to meet the demand.

The strike last year cost damage worth 14 million dollars, with grape growers the hardest hit, according to Agri SA.

The renewed strike was expected to inflict greater damage.

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