A government event to address problems affecting farm workers in the Eastern Cape turned out to be an ANC campaign to garner votes for upcoming elections.
The Sunday event – which the Department of Social Development (DSD) called a government “rapid response drive” to the distressed community after reports of abuse, farm evictions, displacement and in some instances a deliberate blocking of government services to farm workers – was held at the Komgha community hall.
A DSD banner was visible outside the hall and behind a table where social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi and rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane sat. Both indicated it was a government function.
However, ANC T-shirts were being distributed during the proceedings.
Both MECs sang revolutionary songs likened to the ANC and spent most of their address on Sunday calling on communities to vote for the ruling party.
The function was a follow-up to reports from farmworkers last year about being evicted from farms and dumped along the national road.
Social development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said: “In some of the reports it was a common occurrence that livestock owned by farm workers could be impounded for release at an exorbitant fee. This leads to an automatic forfeiture of livestock to the pound, as poor farm labourers cannot afford the penalties.”
There were also cases of assault and cruelty to animals, which resulted in a farmer being fined R20000 or 12 months imprisonment, suspended for five years.
The DSD had compiled a report highlighting the plight of farm workers and interventions made. However, instead of focusing on the issues, the event became an electioneering campaign.
Solani and Qoboshiyane’s spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha responded yesterday, saying: “We understand the phase is polluted politically but our message was to advance democracy and encourage people to register for elections. We covered a wide discourse including racism.
“As government leaders it was not in their control to tell ANC members not to wear their own paraphernalia because they are guests in a government programme.”
They said the T-shirts were not part of government service delivery.
The spokesmen said part of the event was to provide food parcels to vulnerable farm workers, blankets for the elderly, and lucerne, hay and mineral lick-blocks to farm workers who were denied grazing privileges on the farms they lived on, as well as rain water tanks.
In her speech, Sihlwayi said the country was heading towards municipal elections and communities should be ready. She said those who were eligible to apply for IDs should do so, and children should also get their birth certificates.
Sihlwayi said communities should refrain from referring to the ANC-led government as a government of “thieves”.
She reminded communities that it was the ANC government that provided them with social grants.
In his address, Qoboshiyane called on communities to vote ANC to guard against “taking away of freedom”.
He said in a situation where the ruling party lost the elections people would live in the “touchlines” forever.
Outreach turns to becomes ANC rally
The Sunday event – which the Department of Social Development (DSD) called a government “rapid response drive” to the distressed community after reports of abuse, farm evictions, displacement and in some instances a deliberate blocking of government services to farm workers – was held at the Komgha community hall.
A DSD banner was visible outside the hall and behind a table where social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi and rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane sat. Both indicated it was a government function.
However, ANC T-shirts were being distributed during the proceedings.
Both MECs sang revolutionary songs likened to the ANC and spent most of their address on Sunday calling on communities to vote for the ruling party.
The function was a follow-up to reports from farmworkers last year about being evicted from farms and dumped along the national road.
Social development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said: “In some of the reports it was a common occurrence that livestock owned by farm workers could be impounded for release at an exorbitant fee. This leads to an automatic forfeiture of livestock to the pound, as poor farm labourers cannot afford the penalties.”
There were also cases of assault and cruelty to animals, which resulted in a farmer being fined R20000 or 12 months imprisonment, suspended for five years.
The DSD had compiled a report highlighting the plight of farm workers and interventions made. However, instead of focusing on the issues, the event became an electioneering campaign.
Solani and Qoboshiyane’s spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha responded yesterday, saying: “We understand the phase is polluted politically but our message was to advance democracy and encourage people to register for elections. We covered a wide discourse including racism.
“As government leaders it was not in their control to tell ANC members not to wear their own paraphernalia because they are guests in a government programme.”
They said the T-shirts were not part of government service delivery.
The spokesmen said part of the event was to provide food parcels to vulnerable farm workers, blankets for the elderly, and lucerne, hay and mineral lick-blocks to farm workers who were denied grazing privileges on the farms they lived on, as well as rain water tanks.
In her speech, Sihlwayi said the country was heading towards municipal elections and communities should be ready. She said those who were eligible to apply for IDs should do so, and children should also get their birth certificates.
Sihlwayi said communities should refrain from referring to the ANC-led government as a government of “thieves”.
She reminded communities that it was the ANC government that provided them with social grants.
In his address, Qoboshiyane called on communities to vote ANC to guard against “taking away of freedom”.
He said in a situation where the ruling party lost the elections people would live in the “touchlines” forever.
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