The country’s two biggest agricultural unions have condemned Minister of Land Affairs and Agriculture Lulu Xingwana over her criticism of farmers’ treatment of their workers.
While the Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) wants her sacked, AgriSA has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission and has written to President Thabo Mbeki and Xingwana.
During the 16-days of activism against women and child abuse last year, Xingwana reportedly claimed that violence against women and children was rife in agriculture.
She went on to accuse farmers of carrying out continuous evictions, a charge she repeated in her Christmas message, when she urged them to act humanely at year-end.
The unions want to repair the damage Xingwana’s utterances has caused between commercial agriculture and the government, TAU and AgriSA said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
A sound working relationship with the minister is essential, they said, adding that this should be based on socio-economic and economic facts.
At the time of Xingwana’s remarks, AgriSA said they had the potential to adversely influence attitudes and negatively impact the social and security functions of agriculture.
It asked her to detail specific allegations, as in the past many had been ”false and malicious”.
TAU dismissed the accusations of violence as despicable propaganda.
”If the minister is able to twist the truth so easily, how many other similar wrongful interpretations exist?” it asked.
The union has also laid a with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission over the flighting of Xingwana’s message by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. — Sapa