Lt-Col Andre Traut said a 28-year-old man died and five other people were injured in the same protest.

“This matter is now the subject of an investigation conducted by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and police will not be in a position to divulge the finer details of the case.

“The man died as a result of police action, but we cannot give more details of the incident.” 

IPID spokesman Moses Dlamini said an investigator was on his way to the scene to get more details.

“I can confirm that one person was killed. However we only have a report that three were injured. An investigator is on his way to gather more details.” 

Democratic Alliance spokesman Zak Mbhele said unconfirmed reports received by the party also indicated that a farmer had been killed in the province.

“Another unconfirmed report is that a farmer was attacked by a mob of protesters and beaten to death. We have no further details at this stage.” 

Traut said police were trying to find out about the second killing.

Grape harvesters in the Hex River Valley have been protesting for over a week about their wages, demanding R150 a day. Most earn between R69 and R75 a day, with R80 being the highest and only offer from farmers so far.

Protesters have been blocking roads and burning tyres across the province.

“The widespread unrest by farmworkers... is a matter of concern and although every endeavour is made to maintain law and order, it is fair to admit that our response time is compromised and affected by the situation,” Traut said.

AfriForum called on President Jacob Zuma and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to intervene.

“We expect minister Mthethwa to personally visit the scene and to ensure that the transgressors are prosecuted successfully,” deputy CEO Ernst Roets said in a statement.

Comments

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Thu May 23 03:23:08 SAST 2013 ::

Nov 14, 2012

tman992000

Who are the transgressors, those who expect people to live on the money they give their girl child to entertain their boyfriend s on one weekend or those who rightfully demand to be paid a fair living wage mhhh
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Nov 14, 2012

antie

tman, I'd say the ones who give their children more pocket money than they give their workers pay are transgressors, and the ones who destroy and kil.l in order to have their demands met are transgressors. Another Ghandi would have been the solution now.
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Nov 14, 2012

RobinX

tman: Both parties are.
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Nov 14, 2012

tman992000

Robin and Antie, since your forefathers left you two with ill gotten riches and land they possessed through a barrel of a gun, my guess is in your lives, you have never lived on 80 per day
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Nov 14, 2012

Chichi7

So they kill the farmers, burn down the fields, destroy property, destroy machinery and once the the smoke is over, then what?
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Nov 14, 2012

MommaC

I can't wait to see the back of 2012. Never has there been so much violence and bloodshed. Even during apartheid, I don't remember it being this hectic. What the hell is wrong with our country?
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Nov 14, 2012

tman992000

then they gonna brew some left overs of grapes and drink themselves into stupudor, that what they had been paid with since time immorial
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Nov 14, 2012

tman992000

How would you know Mommac cause the journalists were arrested for reporting such things, while you had the time of your life in your secured residential areas were a black man was not allowed after hours, the recruits of sadf some as young as 17 yrs where terrorising the elders in the townships
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Nov 14, 2012

MommaC

tman992000

Ja laatjie, you know it all, ne? Omnipitent, that's what you are.
Pity you don't know the difference between table grapes and wine grapes - or anything else for that mattter
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Nov 14, 2012

antie

tman, If you read my comments on the other articles pertaining to this subject, you would know that I think R 80.00 per day is daylight robbery, and these workers deserve R 150.00 per day. Don't just jump to conclusions, it's very tiring and unproductive exercise. That still does not give the strikers the right to destroy. It makes them just as guilty as their bosses. Which land is that my forefathers left me? I am tired of paying rent.
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