Farm workers and farm dwellers marched to Parliament on Thursday, calling on government to make unused public land available for housing and other social needs.
The march followed the National Farm Worker Platform, which brought farm worker organisations, unions and movements together in Cape Town from 6 to 8 October to discuss challenges including food insecurity, farm evictions, insecure employment and pesticide exposure.
Women on Farms Project co-director Carmen Louw says farm workers continue to face poor conditions despite legislation aimed at protecting their rights.
“I think definitely conditions for farm workers, despite the new laws, protective laws and rights, has very little change. Many of those laws and rights are just on paper and the reality for farm workers is completely different,” Louw said.
She says the organisation is now calling for unused public land in commercial farming areas to be used for housing and food production.
Louw says the Plant Quarantine Station in Stellenbosch is one potential site, arguing that parts of the land are under-utilised and could accommodate farm-dweller families.
She says Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson did not attend the march or send an official to receive the memorandum.
“He apparently is not available and he did not even deem it necessary to send one of his officials to collect the memorandum,” Louw said.
Louw says the organisation will forward the memorandum to the minister and request a meeting, while continuing to push government to address farm worker housing, land access and food insecurity.
Photo: Facebook/ Women on Farms Project
