Parliament, Sunday, 24 July 2022 – A delegation of the joint committee of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour concluded its three-day oversight visits to farms in the Western Cape today.
The Western Cape is the eighth province to be visited by the joint committee to assess the living and working conditions of farm workers and farm dwellers. The delegation visited four farms in the Cape West Coast and Cape Winelands districts where it also held public hearings that were used by farm workers and farm dwellers to highlight the unspeakable and atrocious conditions under which they live on the farms.
In Welverdien farm in the Cape Winelands district where the delegation concluded its oversight visit, the delegation heard allegations of physical and verbal abuse of farm workers by farmers. Farm workers told the delegation that the farmer charges them R620 per month and if a farm worker stays with a partner, the farm worker must pay an additional R210. The delegation also heard that if children reach 18 years of age, the farm worker may pay an additional rent for them or they must leave the farm.
On the same farm, the delegation heard that the farm worker was instructed by the farmer to expel his pregnant daughter from the house or if that does not happen the farmer disconnects electricity from the house of the farm worker. The leader of the delegation and the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela said it was a pity that the farm owner refused to meet with the delegation when the delegation invited him for an engagement.
At the Goedemoed Farm which was also visited by the delegation, the Department of Employment and Labour confiscated the expired passports and visas of 11 foreign nationals and handed them to the Department of Home Affairs for further action. “We cannot allow this to continue at the expense of the 66% of unemployed youth in South Africa, these jobs have to be protected and reserved for our people”, said Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela.
At the second Goedemoed farm, the delegation heard that 23 families that stay on the farm have received eviction notices. The farm owner had blocked the entrance to their houses with a tractor and locked the gate so that the delegation could not enter. Although the farmer made it impossible for the delegation to reach the farm workers and dwellers on the farm, the delegation reached the people over the fence. Inkosi Mandela said that the committee will be engaging the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Dididza, on the issue of illegal evictions and to stop the evictions.
Inkosi Mandela also told farm workers and farm dwellers during public hearings that took place at Matzikama Local Municipality Hall that he will engage Minister Didiza about another 20 families that are threatened with evictions at Proefplaas Farm which is owned by the Agricultural Research Council. He said he will report to the families the outcome of his engagement.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
For media enquiries or interviews with the leader of the Western Cape delegation, please contact the delegation’s Media Officer:
Name: Sureshinee Govender (Ms)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 704 1109
Email: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
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