these were the only people who, when asked if their situation was better or worse than in Zimbabwe, uniformly responded, “Ah, this is worse.”170 The four Zimbabwean workers to whom we spoke on a Doreen farm—a seasonal worker who had worked on the farm since 2005 and three permanent workers who had worked on the farm for five, seven, and ten years, respectively—were all getting paid the minimum wage. They had no deductions taken from their wages, and they had substantial savings, yet they complained about their living conditions. There were no toilets, they used stream water, and they lived in mud and stone houses that they had built themselves.171 Workers’ compensation Workers’ compensation is governed by the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, 1993 (No. 130 of 1993, amended by No.61 of 1997). All employers are required to contribute to the workers’ compensation fund and even foreign employees who work under contract are covered. Zimbabwean migrants receive medical assistance under this law but are unable to obtain compensation for work-related injuries. A Zimbabwean worker, who got injured on the job on a Weipe farm in 2004, described how he failed to receive compensation: Someone drove on top of me with my tractor. I got a claim number. From 2004 to the present, nothing has happened. I didn’t try to find out because I’m just a Zimbabwean. I’ve never been to Pretoria. I just went to Pietersburg [Polokwane] hospital. The ambulance drove me there. Another guy, someone drove on top of him. He broke a leg. He was unable to continue to work. He left. One guy cut [off] a finger. He stayed here. They sent him a card from Pretoria. This is your claim, the owner told him. But to this day he’s not seen any money.172 Human Rights Watch spoke to this man’s employer, a farm owner, who explained that workers do not receive compensation because they are not allowed to open bank accounts into which compensation settlements are paid: “I had a case where we had a very big accident with a Zimbabwean. All his medical costs were paid. He got covered for the month he could not work. He was sent a check. He couldn’t cash it because he 170 Human Rights Watch interview with nine Zimbabwean farm workers, Nwanedi, April 30, 2006. Human Rights Watch interview with four documented Zimbabwean workers, Doreen Estate, April 30, 2006. 172 Human Rights Watch interview with a Zimbabwean farm worker, Weipe, April 23, 2006. 171 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH VOLUME 18, NO. 6(A) 48