Hex River Valley tense as workers return

Hundreds of protesting farmworkers gathering on the N1 near De Doorns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. (File picture).

Hundreds of protesting farmworkers gathering on the N1 near De Doorns. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. (File picture).

Published Nov 20, 2012

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The Hex River Valley remained tense yesterday but the majority of seasonal workers had apparently returned to work and were awaiting the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting that had been called by the government for later this week.

Following last week’s violent protests 32 people appeared in court in Robertson yesterday on charges of public violence.

In Montague five people appeared in court on the same charges and in Ashton there were four court appearances for public violence relating to last week’s protests.

Organisers told Business Report yesterday that although the majority of seasonal workers had returned to work in the central area of De Doorns there were still signs of “spontaneous protests” in other areas such as Bonnievale.

In De Doorns, which was the site of a number of violent protests that saw hectares of farmland being burnt, farmers have employed security companies to guarantee their protection in the event of further outbreaks of violence.

“Last week the farmers were in a state of shock and didn’t seem to know how to react,” one De Doorns resident told Business Report, “but this week they are ready, they have some serious-looking security now.” He added that the fear was that striking workers who were receiving no income were resorting to theft to make ends meet.

Mercia Andrews, who has been involved with the protests through her work with the Trust for Community Outreach and Education, said yesterday that it was important for the workers to become better organised and more strategic in their approach to the issue.

“It is crucial that we get a better handle on where the profits are being made and who is making them and to look in detail at the value chain involved in the agricultural sector.”

Andrews said community organisers had travelled to the farms to meet with farmworkers at the weekend and to hear from them first-hand about what their grievances were.

“Their demands are not all about money, they do want better wages but they also want to be treated with more dignity.”

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