OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kampala | Monday
A SPECIAL committee appointed to investigate the farms crisis in Mpumalanga has painted a picture of dirt-poor farm workers being beaten up by vigilantes, while farmers live in fear and carry guns on their hips.
In its report to the provincial legislature, committee chair Victor Windvoel said farm workers were paid little more than R500 a month and a bag of maize meal for working seven a days a week.
None were given sick leave benefits, they were not paid for overtime, and were not registered with the labour department to qualify for workman’s compensation.
“Some workers at a farm that crafts furniture lost fingers and have not been compensated at all,” said Windvoel. Others had no access to clean water and their houses had no electricity or windows.
The committee also recorded the concerns of farmers, and found that most lived in fear because of telephonic death threats, illegal squatting, stock theft and the increase in farm attacks.
“Some farmers indicated that they walk around with guns in their pockets,” said Windvoel.
Farmers turned to vigilante groups like Mapogo-A-Mathamaga for protection and when farm workers were assaulted and reported cases to police, they seldom got feedback on the investigations.
The committee recommended that workers be educated about labour issues and be registered with the labour department, and that the department strengthen its inspection on farms.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) should ensure there were adequate enforcement agencies against human rights violations.
The committee also recommended that standard court sentences be set, and police stations be investigated for not handling cases properly.
Windvoel added that land reform programmes should be accelerated to give land to the landless.
Freedom Front (FF) leader in Mpumalanga, Hein Mentz, denied there were human rights violation on farms, but said it could be said that the “battle has already begun”.
“I say this because on September 10, the 78th farm attack in Mpumalanga since the beginning of the year took place,” he said. – African Eye News Service