MUSINA – A farm worker from Zimbabwe recently died in Musina from meningitis, while a co-worker is recovering in a hospital from the disease.

The Communiction Director in the Department of Health and Social Development, Mr Phuti Seloba, said the condition of the farm worker is stable. He further described some of the conditions on the farms as horrible, as some workers are drinking polluted water from farm dams.

Seloba said the Department of Health and Social Development has treated other farm workers and found that nine of them are suffering from malaria, and 564 people are suffering from diarrhoea. “The living environment at Noordech farm hostel is not good and we have sent our health officers to immunize the workers on the farms.”

A farm worker told Mirror that some of the workers are vomiting blood.

The MEC for Agriculture in the Limpopo Province, Mrs Dikeledi Magadzi, visited the area during the weekend and she said she was still dissatisfied about farmers who are employing illegal immigrants and dumping them in shabby shelters. She told farmers that the Department of Safety and Security has been notified and they will arrest those who employ illegal immigrants.