Hundreds of Majola Tea Estate workers spent about five hours trying to extinguish a fire which engulfed at least 35 hectares of the tea fields resulting in a loss estimated to run into millions of rands.
The fire was reportedly noticed by security guards working at the Port St Johns-based tea plantation around 8pm last night.
Majola factory manager Vuyani Baleni said they had immediately summoned firefighters to come and douse the fire but were unable to. "We don't know what caused the fire," he told the Daily Dispatch.
But one of the section assistant manager's Zoliswa Mbuzelwa said they suspect it was not an accident at all. "This was no accident. We think someone deliberately set fire to the fields. Tea crops in two fields were burnt to ashes and we estimate the damage to cover about 35 hectares in total," she said.
Armed with watering cans, buckets and water containers, workers spent hours fighting the blaze.
One of those was 54-year-old Nozuzile Majali who has worked at the plantation since 1989. The mother of three, who stays in Siphusiphu village, said she was awoken by some co-workers who told her the tea plantation was on fire. "We have been here since 4am."
A tractor owned by the estate also had to drive to a nearby dam to draw water on many occasions.
Firefighters from O R Tambo district municipality rejoined the fight in the morning and help put out the remaining fires.
The troubled estate has been in the news in recent years after workers revealed that they had to go to bed on empty stomachs because they had not received their salaries for several months.
This was despite more than R300-million being pumped into both the ailing Magwa Tea Estate in Lusikisiki and Majola in the past few years.
In December rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane announced a fresh bailout plan that included a R17-million injection to the two embattled estates and the appointment of a rescue practitioner to help fast-track their turnaround.
At the time, the MEC said around R15-million would go towards the partial payment of salaries of the workers. But workers like Majali claim they last received salaries last year, and even then it was only for two months.
"My child was just told yesterday that he would not be allowed into school because he wears slip-slops as I cannot afford to buy her shoes," she said.
Others have threatened not to cast their votes in the upcoming local government elections on August 3.
"We cannot vote on empty stomachs. It's been four years since we last received decent salaries. Our children have been forced to quit school and have become drunkards because we can't afford their education," said elderly Majeli Nuntsu, who has been working at the Majola since the early 80s
Workers battle to kill fire at Majola tea estate
The fire was reportedly noticed by security guards working at the Port St Johns-based tea plantation around 8pm last night.
Majola factory manager Vuyani Baleni said they had immediately summoned firefighters to come and douse the fire but were unable to. "We don't know what caused the fire," he told the Daily Dispatch.
But one of the section assistant manager's Zoliswa Mbuzelwa said they suspect it was not an accident at all. "This was no accident. We think someone deliberately set fire to the fields. Tea crops in two fields were burnt to ashes and we estimate the damage to cover about 35 hectares in total," she said.
Armed with watering cans, buckets and water containers, workers spent hours fighting the blaze.
One of those was 54-year-old Nozuzile Majali who has worked at the plantation since 1989. The mother of three, who stays in Siphusiphu village, said she was awoken by some co-workers who told her the tea plantation was on fire. "We have been here since 4am."
A tractor owned by the estate also had to drive to a nearby dam to draw water on many occasions.
Firefighters from O R Tambo district municipality rejoined the fight in the morning and help put out the remaining fires.
The troubled estate has been in the news in recent years after workers revealed that they had to go to bed on empty stomachs because they had not received their salaries for several months.
This was despite more than R300-million being pumped into both the ailing Magwa Tea Estate in Lusikisiki and Majola in the past few years.
In December rural development and agrarian reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane announced a fresh bailout plan that included a R17-million injection to the two embattled estates and the appointment of a rescue practitioner to help fast-track their turnaround.
At the time, the MEC said around R15-million would go towards the partial payment of salaries of the workers. But workers like Majali claim they last received salaries last year, and even then it was only for two months.
"My child was just told yesterday that he would not be allowed into school because he wears slip-slops as I cannot afford to buy her shoes," she said.
Others have threatened not to cast their votes in the upcoming local government elections on August 3.
"We cannot vote on empty stomachs. It's been four years since we last received decent salaries. Our children have been forced to quit school and have become drunkards because we can't afford their education," said elderly Majeli Nuntsu, who has been working at the Majola since the early 80s
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