Free State farmers are to take the government to court over safety concerns along the Lesotho border, their union said on Wednesday.
”The research has been done and the economic impact has been quantified,” said Free State agriculture president Louw Steytler.
”There were farmers [along the border] that had turnovers of about R1,2-million, and now they cannot make a turnover of R250 000.”
Steytler said the way the rights of the Free State farming community along the Lesotho border were undermined by the government was a glaring injustice.
”They [the government] do not want to rectify their rights to safety and security,” said Steytler, adding that the issue had come a long way.
He said farmers had taken up the issue using every possible democratic way up to now.
”We went from the premier, the police and defence force, as well as through AgriSA [agriculture oversight body] to the highest level. I want to tell you, we will walk this road now [to court].”
Steytler asked every member of Free State agriculture to donate R150 toward the planned legal action. — Sapa