Caged woman on bakkie causes social media stir

This photograph circulating online of an unknown woman seated in a cage at the back of a bakkie in Cradock in the Eastern Cape has caused a social media stir.

This photograph circulating online of an unknown woman seated in a cage at the back of a bakkie in Cradock in the Eastern Cape has caused a social media stir.

Published Jan 19, 2017

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A picture circulating online of a woman caged on the back of a bakkie in Cradock in the Eastern Cape has caused a stir on social media.

The Izuzu bakkie is registered in the name of Johan Erasmus, a field agent who buys and sells sheep and cattle.

Speaking to African News Agency, Erasmus’s wife Leta said that there was more to the picture than met the eye and explained that her husband was merely being a Good Samaritan by giving a woman a lift earlier this week.

“There were roadworks and he saw a lady standing and she begged him for a lift as it was very hot, he told her to sit in front but she was too scared and preferred to jump in at the back,” said Leta.

When asked why the woman was seated in a cage, Leta responded that “there was no space” for the lady to sit elsewhere at the back of the bakkie.

She insisted that her husband offered a seat in front of the vehicle to the “elderly woman” who is “unknown to them”.

Leta said her husband used the “los hok” to transport sheep for weighing.

She said she wanted to clear the matter up because the family had been bombarded with calls from the media on Thursday morning. At the time of the interview she said police were at their residence to take pictures of the cage.

Johan Erasmus was unavailable for comment at the time of the interview.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Louis Stone confirmed that police had followed up on the matter and visited the Erasmus residence on Thursday morning.

“At this stage a case has not been opened, I can confirm that police went there but at this stage it is a civil matter,” said Stone.

Spokesperson for the South African Human Rights Commission Gushwell Brooks said that the matter had been referred to legal services.

“At this stage I cannot comment, I became aware of it this morning and referred it to our legal services unit so at this stage we are waiting for feedback,” said Brooks.

African News Agency

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