Independent Media reports that at least 70 farmworkers were injured on Wednesday morning when their truck overturned on the R44 near Klapmuts, 17km from Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape.  

Fortunately, there were no fatalities and no workers sustained serious injuries.  ER24’s Russel Meiring said that paramedics and the Metro Services arrived on the scene at 7.20am to find the truck on the side of the road.  He reported further:  ’’Workers that had been on the back of the truck were now scattered around the scene.  ’Medics assessed the patients and found that approximately 70 people had sustained minor to moderate injuries. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalities were found.’’  The patients were treated for their injuries and were then transported to nearby hospitals for further care.  At the beginning of the month, labour federation Cosatu in the Western Cape called on Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi to ban the transportation of farmworkers on trucks.  This came after three farmworkers died and more than 20 people were injured in an accident near Worcester in the Western Cape.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Independent Media

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