Parliament, 1 July 2022 – The leader of the joint delegation of the Employment Committee on Employment and Labour and Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, currently on oversight to the Gauteng province, Ms Lindelwa Dunjwa, has warned that the Parliamentary delegation is not only on oversight “to hear the cries of farm workers but to act on them.”
Ms Dunjwa cautioned that the farming sector stood out for all the wrong reasons.
“We have to right this wrong if we were to instil the human dignity of this vulnerable sector of our population and labour market. This nation-wide oversight process that has now been to six provinces seeks to unveil the yoke of servitude that happen under the cloak of secrecy on farms. And to urge the departments and entities charged with the task of alleviating the plight of farm workers to act in a concerted and well-co-ordinated effort to bring an end to their miseries,” she said.
“However, for this to happen, we must be bold enough to recognise the inefficiencies of policies and pieces of legislation where they exist without ambiguity.”
Ms Dunjwa added that the continued subjection of farmworkers to unlawful conduct is an indictment to our bill of rights and our promise of a better life for all.
She says the oversight process seeks to make farm owners aware of their responsibilities that flow from various pieces of legislation governing labour relations.
“But if at the end we find that there are weaknesses in the existing policies and pieces of legislation that govern labour relations we will address them to ensure that the working and living conditions of farm workers, and dwellers stand the test of our human rights culture. Because we are all equal before the law irrespective of the labour market that one finds him/herself in,” Ms Dunjwa said.
She further stated that parliament will do everything legally and within its means to ensure that farm workers enjoy the gains of our hard fought democracy.
Today, the Portfolio Committees on Employment and Labour, Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform addressed farmworkers at a Public Community Meeting at Bronkhorspruit Sports Centre Hall, 14:00-16:30. Sunday’s meeting is scheduled to take place at Glen Bum Lodge, 14:15 – 17:00.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF THE DELEGATION OF THE JOINT OVERSIGHT TO THE GAUTENG PROVINCE, MS LINDELWA DUNJWA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Abel Mputing
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 705 5521
E-mail: amputing@parliament.gov.za
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