Cape Town - A case of assault could see a wine farm lose its licence to trade if the farmer who allegedly choked a farmworker on a Robertson farm is found guilty.
Farmer Migo Viljoen, who owns Robertson Coop – Eilandia Plase – Outspand, was charged with assault after farmworker Gerald Slingers laid a complaint at Robertson police station on December 4.
The case is to be heard at the Robertson Magistrate’s Court on January 16.
If found guilty and pending an independent investigation, the farmer, who is accredited to trade under an internationally accepted Wieta Agricultural Ethical Trade Initiative’s code of conduct, could be forced out of business.
Slingers, 26, who describes himself as a waterboy on Eilandia farm, said yesterday he had organised a meeting with farmworkers and the Commercial Stevedoring Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (Csaawu) at Slingers’s home on the farm at 6pm on December 3.
Csaawu general secretary Karel Swart said: “I was invited by Slingers to address a meeting after hours on Eilandia farm in Le Chasseur.
“Viljoen had warned the farmworkers that Csaawu was not allowed on the farm.
“Five minutes into the meeting the farmer arrived. He was rude and tried to intimidate me. I was firm that workers have the right to invite visitors to their homes after work hours.
“The farmer then left and returned five minutes later, warning me that I had five minutes to get off the farm. In order to prevent conflict at this point, I left.”
Slingers said: “The next morning (Thursday) I was preparing the pipes to water the grapes and Viljoen pulled up in his bakkie.
“Viljoen asked me: ‘Who do you think you are bringing unions to my farm?’. Before I could answer he smacked me in my face, and then he choked me three times.
“When I lost consciousness, he stopped and shook me. Then he choked me again. I could feel myself drifting away. I said I was going to the police and he told me he’s not worried because I have no evidence.”
Police spokesman Frederick van Wyk confirmed a common assault case was being probed.
Csaawu has since condemned the incident as “a gross violation of human rights and the rights of farmworkers to freedom of association”.
Swart said he feared for his safety on the farms.
“Wherever I go I am confronted by trespassing regulations and sometimes I am threatened. It is becoming more and more difficult for the union to speak with workers.
“This is not an isolated incident, but an ongoing trend to deny freedom of association and ensure farmworker unions cannot grow.”
Wieta president Linda Lipparoni said: “Given the serious nature of the allegations, Wieta has undertaken an immediate investigation
.
“Pending the outcome, the accreditation committee will make the appropriate recommendation to the Wieta board regarding any remedial action, suspension of certification or possible expulsion.
“If the farmer won’t adhere to the outcome, it could mean suspension or expulsion.”
Cape Times
Updated 2014/12/10: The headline was updated to include the word alleged. Its initial omission was an error.