Case against farmer accused forcing worker to eat faeces postponed

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Johannesburg - A court case against an Ekurhuleni farmer who allegedly forced his worker to eat faeces and then tried to drown him in a septic tank was postponed in the Springs Magistrates' court on Monday. Harry Leicester, as well as his wife and son, face possible charges of kidnapping and attempted murder, according to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the body that brought the case to the Equality court. "On December 9, 2017, the family allegedly forced an employee to drink litres of faecal matter before attempting to drown him in a septic tank on their farm," the SAHRC said in a statement. "It is alleged that the farm in question has been the site of continuous human rights violations," the statement added. READ MORE: 'Farmer forced me to drink litres of faeces'

Disturbing testimony was heard in court on Monday, with SAHRC attorney Buang Jones tweeting that the farm worker, Joseph Mona, was repeatedly called racial slurs by his employer.

Mr Harry Leicester, his wife and son are facing criminal charges of attempted murder, and kidnapping pertaining to the same incident. Matter postponed to 4 June 2018 for further investigation. — Buang Jones (@IamBuangJones) May 14, 2018

"The farmer took a big jug, dipped it in the sewer hole and forced the Complainant to drink its contents," he said. The farmer and his son then dragged Mona to a sewer hole.

He was called a useless kaffir after he failed to switch on the engine of the septic tank pump machine. The farmer took a big jug, dipped it in the sewer hole and forced the Complainant to drink its contents while calling him a kaffir. — Buang Jones (@IamBuangJones) May 14, 2018

"Right to human dignity (and dignified existence) is not a practical reality for many farmer workers and dwellers in South Africa," Jones tweeted.

The case was postponed to May 29.

Equality Court matter postponed to 29 & 30 May for further heaieng. — Buang Jones (@IamBuangJones) May 14, 2018

Twenty-four years after the end of apartheid, racism persists in South Africa, with multiple abuse cases shocking residents of the "Rainbow Nation."

Last year, two white South African farmers, Theo Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen, got 14 and 11 years in jail, respectively, after they forced a black man into a coffin and threatened to set it alight.

DPA and IOL