Uitsettings is 'n baie emosionele kwessie wat met baie groot verantwoordelikheid hanteer moet word, daarom is ek dankbaar dat u hierdie geleentheid gereël het sodat ons op 'n verantwoordelike wyse kan besin oor die rol wat u moet vervul in die proses. Dit gebeur te veel dat mense vir eie gewin, en om politieke munt uit die situasie te slaan, op onverantwoordelike wyse stellings maak wat myle van die waarheid is.
Ek wil reg aan die begin vir u sê dat ek elke geval wat aan my kantoor gerapporteer word, deeglik laat ondersoek, deur die Departement van Landbou, deur Grondsake en deur Agri Wes-Kaap. Ek hoor gedurig van onwettige uitsettings en wanneer ek aan die persone vra om die inligting aan die kantoor te verskaf, gee die mense wat daarvan praat, nie vir ons die inligting nie. Ek het by verskeie geleenthede gesê dat ons die volle samewerking van Georganiseerde Landbou het, aangesien die welstand van plaaswerkers vir die oorgrote meerderheid boere in die Wes-Kaap ook van groot belang is.
Uitsettings raak die kwesbaarste groepering van die Wes-Kaapse samelewing, naamlik plaaswerkers. Die beskuldiging word heel dikwels gemaak dat ons niks vir plaaswerkers doen nie en dat die Regering nie omgee wat met plaaswerkers gebeur nie. Ek wil dit onomwonde stel dat dit 'n leuen is. Onder die ANC Regering in die Wes-Kaap, geniet plaaswerkers die afgelope twee jaar baie spesiale aandag, Daarom is dit noodsaaklik dat ek u so twee jaar en drie maande sal terugneem toe ek die minster van Landbou geword het. Een van die eerste items op my agenda was die omstandighede waaronder die totale plaaswerker gemeenskap hulle self bevind het na 10 jaar van die nuwe demokrasie. Ek het vir myself gesê dat die nuwe Suid-Afrika by die plaaswerker gemeenskap verbygery het en dat daar niks werklik gebeur het om die omstandighede van hierdie mense te verbeter nie en dat hulle totale kwaliteit van lewe by die dag agteruitgaan.
It was with this in mind that we embarked on a process of indabas with farm workers and all other relevant role players, which started in August 2004. It culminated in the strategic plan for farm workers that were adopted by the Cabinet in December 2005.
What is clear from the strategic plan is the need to offer comprehensive and effective services to the farm worker community. It recognises the role that other departments have played over years to support the farm workers but that it highlights the even greater role that you will have to play in the future. Government departments have many services on offer but which are denied to farm workers due to logistical, monetary and administrative constraints. We need to bring government services much closer to these vulnerable people who has been denied so much for so long.
The most pertinent issues that are contained in the plan are:
- Black Economic Empowerment (Department of Agriculture) Black economic empowerment (BEE) is regarded as a necessary prerequisite for the normalisation of the economy. Participation in economic activities by previously disadvantaged communities and individuals is essential to maintain sustainable growth of the economy.
- Education It is well known that farm worker communities represent some of the most disadvantaged sectors in the country. The almost feudal context on many farms (total dependency on the farm owner) and the many generations during which farm workers and their families were subjected to extreme poverty, have left them without access to information and without a voice.
- Labour The injustice and unfairness of past practices, as well as the realisation that the new dispensation has not really brought about the desired solutions, must be exposed without offering excuses for the emotions evoked in the process.
- Social Services and Poverty Alleviation Farm workers suffer a myriad of social problems. Because of their isolation and the lack of transport, they live an uneventful life where social ills such as alcohol abuse, domestic violence and teenage pregnancies are at the order of the day. The total moral decay of the farm worker should be of grave concern to all of us.
- Health The physical well being of the farm worker community is a necessary prerequisite for the satisfaction of all other service needs. Only healthy individuals can make a constructive contribution to the economy and take co-ownership of the improvement of their circumstances.
- Behuising Plaaswerkers is volwaardige burgers van die land en het daarom dieselfde regte as enige ander persoon wat in die stede woon. Dit is noodsaaklik dat wetgewing rakende behuising, ook vir die spesifieke behoeftes van plaaswerkers voorsiening sal maak.
Providing all relevant information regarding the BEE charter for agriculture to all stakeholders is regarded as a high priority. It is important for people to understand that BEE is not equal to access to or ownership of land, but could also include enterprises elsewhere in the value chain. If people could develop an understanding of this, then BEE in agriculture will stand a better chance of success.
There are however many farms, which are excellent examples of empowerment-friendly environments (illustrated by Rudnet's annual Farm Health Award project).
The issues identified in respect of labour are not limited to the workplace. It includes inadequate and poor skills levels, absence of career planning and a lack of information. There are burning issues that we should deal with and I am awaiting a response from the national minister of labour with regard to certain actions that I want them to take in this regard.
Daar is meer as 200 000 plaaswerkers op plase in die Wes-Kaap en op die oomblik voorsien boere in baie dienste aan hulle werkers wat normaalweg nie deur werkgewers in die stad, aan hulle werknemers voorsien word nie. Die belangrikste hiervan is behuising. Een van die probleme is dat elke persoon wat nog nie voorheen 'n huis besit het nie, is geregtig op 'n subsidie. Solank 'n werker op 'n plaas bly kan daar nie vir hom of haar 'n huis met subsidiegeld op die plaas gebou word nie.
Daar is 'n konstante vloei van plaaswerkers na die stedelike gebiede toe, wat groot druk plaas op munisipaliteite vir behuising en dienste.
In terme van die ESTA wet is daar spesifieke voorskrifte ten opsigte van die prosedure wat gevolg moet word wanneer 'n uitsetting beoog word. Die Wet maak voorsiening vir 'n seksie 9(2)(D) kennisgewing, wat 'n kennis aan die okkupeerder van 'n voorneme om 'n uitsettingsbevel te kry. Hierdie kennisgewing moet op die Okkupeerder, die Departement van Grondsake en die Munisipaliteit gedien word, twee maande voordat die hofaansoek ingedien word.
A Section 9(3) Request, is a Request from the Court for a report on the availability of suitable alternative accommodation, effect of an eviction on constitutional rights of affected persons & hardships an eviction would cause occupiers. These requirements places a responsibility on various departments and municipalities and I am not so sure that some of the role players are even remotely aware of their obligation in this regard.
According to the Department of Land Affairs the total official number of evictions for the period January 2004 to April 2006 the: section 9(2)(d) notices are 240 and the section 9(3) requests were 334.
As indicated this has an impact, not for agriculture alone, but for other Departments such as Local Government, Housing Health, Land Affairs and in the final analyses, all local Authorities. The availability of land and housing and related services, in terms of the IDP.
I have indicated that during the application of the Esta Act, the related actions and obligations for many role players are not always that clear and therefore contributes to the controversy with regard to evictions of farm workers. We as Government has an obligation to comply with the laws of this country and to take up our responsibility when it comes to the execution of these laws.
The potential explosive situation that developed in the Jonkershoek area with regard to alleged evections and the subsequent intervention by myself, has defused the tensions and we are now using it as a pilot to identify all the contributing factors and the challenges that we face in addressing the needs of the community.
We agreed on certain key principles that form the basis of the deliberations and I believe that this should be the basic principles on which all future deliberations should take place.
- A collective commitment to constructive engagement;
- An agreement that the ESTA is inadequate and needs to be reviewed;
- A moratorium on all evictions in this area, pending the conclusion of negotiations aimed at 3 -6 months;
- The setting up of Agri-villages;
- The centrality of para-statal and private land in the engagement of transformation;
- All levels of governance to be included in this process - i.e. Local/Municipal, Provincial and National government;
- An end to severing basic services to farm occupants;
- Conducting an audit to provide common platforms of information;
I believe that this process of dialogue and constructive engagement in agricultural communities may very well be the first of its kind and may serve as a blueprint for other similar areas in the Province and South Africa.
In considering their role and contribution to land reform and the provision of housing and services, the Department of Local Government and Housing must establish land reform units within municipalities and prioritise the question of Rural on and off farm housing options that needs to be developed in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and other role players in the Agricultural sector.
Voorsitter ek wil weereens beklemtoon dat onverantwoordelike en emosionele optrede van enigiemand, hetsy dit 'n boer, bewoner, politikus, lid van die gemeenskap of 'n organisasie is, hoegenaamd niks sal bydra tot die oplossing van die uitdaging wat ons in die gesig staar rondom wettige en onwettige afsettings nie. Sulke optrede skaad die beeld van Landbou, veral in die Buiteland, en dit kan oor die langer termyn net ernstige nadelige gevolge hê. Dit is ons elkeen se plig om op 'n verantwoordelike wyse 'n bydrae te lewer en ek wil u uitnooi om dit vandag van hierdie geleentheid gebruik te maak om te help bou aan verhoudings wat ook uiters noodsaaklik is vir die groei van ons plaaswerker genmeenskap.
Navrae:
Alie van Jaarsveld
Spokesperson
Ministry of Agriculture: Western Cape
Tel: 021 483 4930
Fax: 021 483 3890
Email: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za
