IT IS a cold spring day on the West Coast and rural folk huddle around fires to save themselves from howling, biting winds coming in from the Atlantic.
All have a story to tell, the same story: They have been evicted from their places of abode by their employers who felt threatened by the government’s latest land reform proposals.
Although the Western Cape might seem to be the lead violinist in the farmworker evictions orchestra, little is reported of the horrendous unlawful evictions of farmworkers taking place in the northern provinces.
When farmers from a single province boot 84 workers off their farms within a period of six months, this calls for great concern.
Particularly alarming is the increase in the number of people booted off farms without alternative accommodation.
It should always be remembered that the evicted farmworkers are breadwinners for their families. They do not share in the farm profits. Their remuneration is often the most disgraceful in our employment sectors.
Yet farmworkers are contributing to the 3% input by the agriculture sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) of our country.
Our Constitution compels the government to undertake land reform in order to address the injustices of the past.
The present race-based skewed land ownership pattern is not sustainable for our country.
The indigenous people were dispossessed of their land through colonial wars of conquest and through the apartheid laws and policies. Land ownership is a social right so people can grow their own food. Landlessness causes poverty, hence the majority of black people live in grinding poverty. Surely we cannot expect harmony and proper economic growth when these basic human rights have not been addressed.
An upsurge in farm evictions will not only lead to the mushrooming of shanty towns around our cities but will also lead to social upheaval, the consequences of which are too ghastly to contemplate.
It is for this reason that the department of rural development and land reform has decided to give the Extension of Security of Tenure Act of 1997 more teeth to protect farmworkers against illegal evictions.
This Act is being amended to regulate the rights of farmworkers and to further regulate the eviction of farm occupiers by enforcing the alternative resolution mechanisms provided for in the act.
The amended act will provide for the establishment of land rights management boards and land rights management committees whose functions will be to identify, monitor and settle land rights disputes. These institutions will also establish and maintain a data base of farm occupiers, land rights disputes and evictions.
When this law is operational, it will make it difficult for farm owners to willy- nilly chase farmworkers off farms.
This bill, the Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Bill, 2013, was gazetted in October last year and will soon see its way to cabinet and finally to parliament.
The sooner this law is passed by our parliament and assented to by the president, the better because it will bring huge relief to farmworkers.
Farm evictions have been going on for decades. I remember many years ago as a young journalist covering some of these atrocious evictions in my province. Little did I imagine myself once more writing about these evil human deeds. We all hoped that at the dawn of democracy these social evils would vanish.
The particularly painful part about farm evictions is that most farm dwellers know no other life other than being born and growing up on the farms.
Yet some callous farm owners even out their unwanted farmworkers and dump them on roadsides.
This is very prevalent in the northern provinces where farmworkers have little or no status.
Farmworkers who have been evicted from farms should immediately notify the department of rural development and land reform on the toll-free number 080-07095.
The land reform process is in full swing and is unstoppable. The indigenous people waited for restoration of justice and nation-building for 350 years.
It is just unthinkable that 35 000 commercial farmers will forever enjoy the monopoly of 82 million hectares.
Recently, a probe on farm attacks was undertaken by the SA Human Rights Commission at the behest of the Afri-Forum. Personally, I feel that the SAHRC should also do a similar probe on the maltreatment of farmworkers on the farms.
At the same time, I do not subscribe to recent views articulated by some of our people who threatened Zimbabwe- style land invasions if farm evictions did not stop.
Our country has laws and regulations that are meant to address our social concerns. Farmworkers have a right to call on their government to put an end to such evictions without resorting to violent measures that will not benefit anybody.
We should always keep in mind the fact that we are a constitutional democracy and that it would not be prudent to embark on such destructive action which might negatively affect our economy and endanger our food security.
Mtobeli Mxotwa is spokesman for the Ministry of Rural Development and Land Reform
Farm evictions an evil that must be stopped
All have a story to tell, the same story: They have been evicted from their places of abode by their employers who felt threatened by the government’s latest land reform proposals.
Although the Western Cape might seem to be the lead violinist in the farmworker evictions orchestra, little is reported of the horrendous unlawful evictions of farmworkers taking place in the northern provinces.
When farmers from a single province boot 84 workers off their farms within a period of six months, this calls for great concern.
Particularly alarming is the increase in the number of people booted off farms without alternative accommodation.
It should always be remembered that the evicted farmworkers are breadwinners for their families. They do not share in the farm profits. Their remuneration is often the most disgraceful in our employment sectors.
Yet farmworkers are contributing to the 3% input by the agriculture sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) of our country.
Our Constitution compels the government to undertake land reform in order to address the injustices of the past.
The present race-based skewed land ownership pattern is not sustainable for our country.
The indigenous people were dispossessed of their land through colonial wars of conquest and through the apartheid laws and policies. Land ownership is a social right so people can grow their own food. Landlessness causes poverty, hence the majority of black people live in grinding poverty. Surely we cannot expect harmony and proper economic growth when these basic human rights have not been addressed.
An upsurge in farm evictions will not only lead to the mushrooming of shanty towns around our cities but will also lead to social upheaval, the consequences of which are too ghastly to contemplate.
It is for this reason that the department of rural development and land reform has decided to give the Extension of Security of Tenure Act of 1997 more teeth to protect farmworkers against illegal evictions.
This Act is being amended to regulate the rights of farmworkers and to further regulate the eviction of farm occupiers by enforcing the alternative resolution mechanisms provided for in the act.
The amended act will provide for the establishment of land rights management boards and land rights management committees whose functions will be to identify, monitor and settle land rights disputes. These institutions will also establish and maintain a data base of farm occupiers, land rights disputes and evictions.
When this law is operational, it will make it difficult for farm owners to willy- nilly chase farmworkers off farms.
This bill, the Extension of Security of Tenure Amendment Bill, 2013, was gazetted in October last year and will soon see its way to cabinet and finally to parliament.
The sooner this law is passed by our parliament and assented to by the president, the better because it will bring huge relief to farmworkers.
Farm evictions have been going on for decades. I remember many years ago as a young journalist covering some of these atrocious evictions in my province. Little did I imagine myself once more writing about these evil human deeds. We all hoped that at the dawn of democracy these social evils would vanish.
The particularly painful part about farm evictions is that most farm dwellers know no other life other than being born and growing up on the farms.
Yet some callous farm owners even out their unwanted farmworkers and dump them on roadsides.
This is very prevalent in the northern provinces where farmworkers have little or no status.
Farmworkers who have been evicted from farms should immediately notify the department of rural development and land reform on the toll-free number 080-07095.
The land reform process is in full swing and is unstoppable. The indigenous people waited for restoration of justice and nation-building for 350 years.
It is just unthinkable that 35 000 commercial farmers will forever enjoy the monopoly of 82 million hectares.
Recently, a probe on farm attacks was undertaken by the SA Human Rights Commission at the behest of the Afri-Forum. Personally, I feel that the SAHRC should also do a similar probe on the maltreatment of farmworkers on the farms.
At the same time, I do not subscribe to recent views articulated by some of our people who threatened Zimbabwe- style land invasions if farm evictions did not stop.
Our country has laws and regulations that are meant to address our social concerns. Farmworkers have a right to call on their government to put an end to such evictions without resorting to violent measures that will not benefit anybody.
We should always keep in mind the fact that we are a constitutional democracy and that it would not be prudent to embark on such destructive action which might negatively affect our economy and endanger our food security.
Mtobeli Mxotwa is spokesman for the Ministry of Rural Development and Land Reform
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