The family of a sole breadwinner of Ventersdorp is blaming a farmer for his untimely death.
Tsholofelo Makgobe (27) was determined to take his family out of poverty and never expected his first day on the farm to be his last.
According to his devastated family, a lorry trailer ran over him on 8 May, injuring him so badly that he died in Mediclinic the next day. He was buried in Tshing, Ventersdorp, last Saturday.
They blame the farmer for his death and want justice to be served.
‘He never called the ambulance or the police but chose to put him on the back of the bakkie. It has broken our family’s heart, said Mango Makgobe, the deceased’s sister.
She says they only learnt of the accident that night when the other farmworkers were knocking off.
She shared the witnesses’ account with the Herald.
‘Tsholofelo left home at 04:00 on Monday morning to look for work on a farm not far from Ventersdorp. We were happy for him and wished him well,’ she said.
‘In the evening, when everyone had knocked off, we heard that my younger brother had been involved in an accident. We never received a call from the farmer; my mother had to call them later to find out.
‘They say he never got immediate assistance and no one called the ambulance or the police to the scene. Instead, the farmer drove him to Potchefstroom Mediclinic, through all the stop-and-goes’ she said.
‘We are unhappy that they drove for more than 70 kilometres with him on the back of a bakkie.’
Mango says they were met with disdain when they rushed to the police station to open a case and get assistance.
Photo: Selogile Leshage
The farm is on private property, we will not go there
She says the police did not want to help them because, they argued, the farm was on private property. They also said they couldn’t open a case on a rumour and that the victim would have to come and open a case himself after being discharged.
After they had left, another police officer advised them to go back and force the police on duty to call the hospital and find out if he is indeed there.
He had fractured ribs and his pelvic area was crushed
‘We had to organise our own transport to Potchefstroom that night. He was in a serious condition; he had fractured ribs and his pelvic area had been crushed.
What have we done wrong in this world?
‘We got back home after midnight. When they called us back, we had to arrange transport again. That was when they told us that he had passed away,’ she said sadly.
According to Mango, the farmer offered them R12 500 in compensation and wanted them to sign an affidavit at the police station, stating that they would accept the amount as a final settlement.
To her, this was a sign of disrespect and a form of bribery.
‘In our culture, when you want to contribute towards a funeral, you don’t force people to sign contracts. Is that what my brother’s life was worth to him?’ she asked bitterly.
The Makgobe’s father also died and was buried on another farm in 2014. ‘That farmer did not want us (his children) to go see him. He was buried like a dog. Why is this happening to our family? What have we done wrong in this world?’ Mango asked in tears.
‘The deceased leaves behind his two-year-old daughter, Nthabeleng. He had dreams of one day building a house. We had so much hope in him… Now he is gone,’ she said.
Fourth fatality in the farm
Khuduga Dibe, a community leader says this was the fourth fatality on the same farm. ‘There is something wrong there. One of the workers died while he was trying to unblock the harvesting machine. A full investigation must be launched,’ he said.
Khuduga said petrol attendants had alerted him to the fact that, when the farmer had stopped to fill up, they saw the man, bleeding and in pain, on the back of the bakkie.
I believe the hospital did not do a proper check-up, says farm manager
The farm’s general manager, Fred Coetzee says they happily gave Albert (his other name) a job that morning.
He told the Herald his version of events.
‘While the workers were busy on the farm, he must have tripped over something and fallen down. That is when the back tyre of the trailer that the truck was pulling drove over him.’
We took him to a hospital in Ventersdorp but the personnel were on strike. We thought the quickest way for him to receive treatment would be to drive him to Potchefstroom Mediclinic.
They said he was “not too bad” and that he “will be okay”,’ he said. He admitted that the employee had sustained broken ribs. ‘He was fine and asked for water. I gave him some and told him to relax.
‘What happened was tragic. I couldn’t believe it when I heard that he is gone. I believe the hospital did not do a proper check-up,’ he said.
Fred says they could not inform the family at that time because he had only started that morning and they did not have his full details.
He refuted the family’s allegations that they were expected to sign a settlement affidavit. ‘All we wanted was to pay for the funeral,’ he said.
When questioned about the safety at the farm, he said the workers had not died on the farm.
‘Accidents do happen. It’s not something you can control. We have safety precautions on the farm and everyone we hire gets training in safety to avoid accidents. That is the law. We make sure they are healthy and work in proper clothing,’ he said.
At the time of the interview, Fred says they still wanted to assist with the funeral.
The police are investigating an inquest case
Col Adele Myburg, the NW SAPS spokesperson says the deceased allegedly fell off a truck at about 13:30 on Monday 7 May. He was busy with his daily duties on the farm. ‘The farm owner was not driving the truck but he took the injured worker to Potchefstroom Mediclinic, where he later passed away.
An inquest docket was opened in Potchefstroom, where he died, and it was then transferred to Ventersdorp SAPS where the accident took place. It is currently under investigation. We cannot elaborate on the details of the case as all the evidence must still be presented before the court,’ she said.
‘We have noted and are investigating the family’s allegations that the Ventersdorp SAPS was not helpful. Ventersdorp’s station commander, Lt-Col Robbertse, is committed to rendering a good service to the community,’ she said.
We will not comment on allegations made by the farmer, says Mediclinic
Mediclinic Potchefstroom confirmed the incident. Diana King, the spokesperson says the patient was admitted with serious injuries. ‘Mr Makgobe passed away on Tuesday, 8 May 2018. We would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this time. We will not comment on the allegations made,’ she said.
She referred all the other questions to the family for more information. ‘Due to patient privacy, we are not at liberty to divulge details of the patient’s condition,’ she concluded.
Those who are responsible will be brought to book
Cosatu has also weighed in on the incident, saying Tsholofelo’s death was the result of racial discrimination. The provincial secretary, Job Dliso says ‘the driver of the truck was a white man who after noticing the horrible incident just shifted the deceased and instructed other workers to continue working as if nothing had happened…’
‘We have the pictures of the deceased and have engaged with the family. We will make sure that those who are responsible are brought to book.
We also have workers who are prepared to be witnesses.
‘The federation appeals to the relevant roleplayers, particularly law enforcement agencies, the Department of Labour and SAHRC (South African Human Rights Commission) to assist our poor farm workers and communities – especially in Ventersdorp – without fear of favour.
‘We call upon the MEC of community safety, the Minister of Police, the Minister of Labour and the SAHRC to urgently investigate.
‘The farmworkers and the community of Ventersdorp have lost confidence in some of our officials and police officers in Ventersdorp,’ he said.
Also read: Ventersdorp farm worker dies after operating a harvesting machine
