Pretoria:  The Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has watched with horror the alleged abuse of farm workers by the police and the farmers in Paul Petersburg area of KwaZulu-Natal as reported by the SABC television news tonight, 21 August 2009.
 “We will thoroughly investigate the matter to ensure that where the law has been broken the perpetrators are brought to book.  We condemn any form of violence in our farming community. The inequality that continues to characterize the SA hinterland must be eradicated and those areas transformed, if we have to do it farm by farm or village by village, then we must”, said Minister.

For further information contact:
Steve Galane
Acting Media Liaison Officer
083 635 7346/012-319 7312