Categories: Local News

WATCH: Farm attack victim’s grave dug up, desecrated

Middelburg Observer reports that Amcu members contracted to Goedehoop Mine have been striking for the past month.

The striking miners are employed by PG Labour Hire & Construction which is situated on the farm Goedehoop, close by the mine.

READ MORE: Lone survivor of Dullstroom farm attack speaks about horror night

Farm owner Mr Pieter Honeyborne’s father, Pieter started the company in 1995 and the company has been contracted by Goedehoop Mine since its establishment.

In May 2009, Honeyborne senior was killed during a farm attack, after which his wife Bella took over the business and son Pieter took over the cattle farm.

Honeyborne senior’s grave was recently desecrated and the family believes Amcu members were responsible for digging up the grave.

“It’s the most offensive, personal and painful thing anyone can do,” Honeyborne junior told the Middelburg Observer.

He says that luckily his father had been cremated so there wasn’t any coffin and remains for the evildoers to desecrate.

Only Amcu members in their employment are striking.

National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members are still working, but the Honeybornes have had to relocate around 60 NUM members, their families and all their belongings to places of safety after seven houses were torched.

A Quantum minibus belonging to PG Labour Hire & Construction was also torched at the company’s workshop on Goedehoop farm. Office personnel have since relocated to Middelburg for their safety.

Mpumalanga Amcu head Mr John Sibiya says the union does not condone violence and intimidation.

He says the police must investigate and take the necessary steps to bring the culprits to book.

“At this point I cannot say yes it was AMCU members, or no it wasn’t, its the job of the police to prove culpability”.

Meanwhile, Mr Honeyborne has moved more than 3 000 heads of cattle to safety in Amersfoort.

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By Gerhard Rheeder