The transportation of farmworkers has yet again come under the spotlight after a 24-year-old was crushed to death under a trailer in Citrusdal.
According to reports, the farmworker was on the trailer attached to a tractor travelling on a tarred road, when the driver swerved to avoid a pothole last Tuesday.
The worker then fell off and his head got caught under the trailer wheel, killing him instantly.
Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi, said the circumstances leading to the incident were under investigation.
“Citrusdal police attended a complaint on August 8.
“When they arrived at a nearby farm they found the body of the man who (had) sustained fatal injuries.
“The victim was declared dead on the scene.
“Reports suggested that the victim fell off a trailer hooked onto a tractor.
Citrusdal police registered culpable homicide for further investigation,” he said.
Executive director of the Rural and Farm Workers Development Organisation, Billy Claasen, said the accident “could have been prevented if the necessary safety measures” were taken.
“It is further alleged that the driver of the tractor did not have the necessary documentation to operate the tractor on a public road. There were approximately 54 workers on the trailer.
“The transportation of farmworkers has become a hot debate in the rural areas and the agricultural sector.
“Hardly a month goes by without hearing of a fatal accident whereby farmworkers are involved.
“Something drastically needs to be done to change the rate in which farmworkers die in tragic cases on or off farms,” said Claasen.
He added that he had visited the scene and spoken to the driver who informed him that there was no emotional support offered.
“We convey our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and the other farmworkers,” he said.
The Black Association of the Wine and Spirits Industry president, Nosey Pieterse, called for measures to be implemented to ensure the safety of farmworkers.
“This is very horrible and we have raised the issue time and time again, but it has fallen on deaf ears.
“Farmworkers’ lives are as important and we need competent structures to oversee the transporting of farmworkers, because these are people’s lives.
“It’s not something new.
“These are trucks of death and we are calling for them to be looked at and the lives of farmworkers prioritised,” he said.
Cape Times