Cosatu has claimed that hundreds of Magwa and Majola tea estate workers are starving and face death.
This was claimed at a protest march yesterday where union leaders and workers said the workers had not been paid for nine months.
Cosatu’s Lusikisiki branch secretary, Mzuvukile Zibi, was speaking in Lusikisiki during a peaceful march of 400 tea workers from Magwa and Majola yesterday.
Zibi, who led the march through the Lusikisiki CBD, said: “The people of Magwa are starving”.
Zibi said workers’ children had dropped out of school. Infrastructure at the estates was deteriorating with workers living in dilapidated structures.
Spokesman for the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform Mvusi Sicwetsha, denied that the department or the Eastern Cape rural development agency (ECRDA) had ever asked workers to prove they were owed outstanding wages.
“We have never put the matter to the table because we are still working on the financial resources needed to rescue the estates,” Sicwetsha said.
Workers spoken to at the march said they were living from hand-to-mouth.
They said they earned a minimum of R2200 and that 700 workers were not being paid.
Workers said they still reported for duty after getting “promises after promises”.
The workers carried placards calling for a bailout of the two estates and threats to boycott upcoming local government elections.
Zibi claimed the government had told the workers to prove they had reported for duty and their wages were still owed.
Sicwetsha said MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane was talking to treasury about the business rescue plan, but the decision to put the two tea estates under administration lay with the board of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, which was a major shareholder.
The tea workers had hoped to hand over a petition to chief executive officer of ECRDA, Thozi Gwanya, but he was not there.
Sicwetsha said in a statement: “Neither the department nor ECRDA ever promised to receive the petition from the march.”
Madyibi said their petition would be forwarded to the premier Phumulo Masualle, finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo and Qoboshiyane's office, to respond “within seven days”.
Tensions around the ailing tea estates reached boiling point recently when DA MPL Athol Trollip demanded answers from rural development Qoboshiyane about a lack of production and the general dysfunction at the estates. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
Workers claim to be starving
This was claimed at a protest march yesterday where union leaders and workers said the workers had not been paid for nine months.
Cosatu’s Lusikisiki branch secretary, Mzuvukile Zibi, was speaking in Lusikisiki during a peaceful march of 400 tea workers from Magwa and Majola yesterday.
Zibi, who led the march through the Lusikisiki CBD, said: “The people of Magwa are starving”.
Zibi said workers’ children had dropped out of school. Infrastructure at the estates was deteriorating with workers living in dilapidated structures.
Spokesman for the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform Mvusi Sicwetsha, denied that the department or the Eastern Cape rural development agency (ECRDA) had ever asked workers to prove they were owed outstanding wages.
“We have never put the matter to the table because we are still working on the financial resources needed to rescue the estates,” Sicwetsha said.
Workers spoken to at the march said they were living from hand-to-mouth.
They said they earned a minimum of R2200 and that 700 workers were not being paid.
Workers said they still reported for duty after getting “promises after promises”.
The workers carried placards calling for a bailout of the two estates and threats to boycott upcoming local government elections.
Zibi claimed the government had told the workers to prove they had reported for duty and their wages were still owed.
Sicwetsha said MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane was talking to treasury about the business rescue plan, but the decision to put the two tea estates under administration lay with the board of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, which was a major shareholder.
The tea workers had hoped to hand over a petition to chief executive officer of ECRDA, Thozi Gwanya, but he was not there.
Sicwetsha said in a statement: “Neither the department nor ECRDA ever promised to receive the petition from the march.”
Madyibi said their petition would be forwarded to the premier Phumulo Masualle, finance MEC Sakhumzi Somyo and Qoboshiyane's office, to respond “within seven days”.
Tensions around the ailing tea estates reached boiling point recently when DA MPL Athol Trollip demanded answers from rural development Qoboshiyane about a lack of production and the general dysfunction at the estates. — loyisom@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos