A week of radical actions including a march on Parliament by Sikhula Sonke, the farmworkers trade union

MEDIA RELEASE by Sikhula Sonke
Sent in solidarity by the Anti-Eviction Campaign

Farm workers in Stellenbosch demand an end to inhumane forced evictions, appalling housing and retrenchments: 27 July to 1 August 2009

Farm workers embark on a week of radical action, Monday 27 July to Saturday 1 August. They come from the Boland, West Coast, Breede River, Witzenburg, Overberg, Oostenberg, Breede Valley and Swartland. This action takes place on the eve of the famous Stellenbosch wine festival and coincides with several uprisings for service delivery across the country.

The action starts on the flower farm, Kaapfleurs, at 17h00 on Monday 27 July. Workers at Kaapfleurs literally live in pigsties and face retrenchments. We will plant seeds on the farm on Tuesday 28 July.

On Tuesday we start our journey to the National Parliament in Plein Street at 16h00 where we will hold a night vigil, camping out at the gates of Parliament.

On Wednesday 29 July, we will meet with our partners, supporters and the media at St Georges Cathedral on Wale Street, from 11h00, during which we will light candles in solidarity with the million farm workers who were displaced and evicted from farms during the first ten years of our democracy, farmworkers who still bear extreme hardships on a daily basis, farmworkers who produce the food that sustains our rainbow nation.

We expect President Jacob Zuma to address us at Parliament at 12h00 on Wednesday. During the afternoon we will continue our demonstration with testimonies, music, poetry and solidarity messages at Parliament.

Our protests resume in Stellenbosch on the evening of 30 July, for the start of the Stellenbosch wine festival, during which we will highlight grave issues farm workers are confronted with on these farms on a daily basis. We are targeting specific farms where the wine festival takes place.

Stellenbosch farms show the realities and lives of so many farm workers and farm dwellers across South Africa, many of whom are still treated as slaves.

The rally is supported by a number of farm worker trade unions, organizations and other partners, including Alternative Information Development Centre, Engender, ILRIG, Mayibuye, New Women’s Movement, Surplus People’s Project, Triangle Project, Trust for Community Outreach & Education, Women on Farms Project and various community and faith leaders.

The public and media are invited to attend the week of action starting on Monday 27 July at Kaapfleurs farm.

The rally is organised by the farm worker trade union, Sikhula Sonke.

For more information and directions to venues, please contact:

Sandra Hendricks (Administrator) on 021 883 3180 or 083 566 1372

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BEHIND THE LABEL

Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch is the centre of South Africa’s wine industry and the home of the world famous University of Stellenbosch.

Wine Estates. Stellenbosch is home to about 120 wine estates.

What happen behind the label? We want to tell the stories of workers that people often do not hear. It is the story of the hardships people bear on a daily basis.

On several wine farms in Stellenbosch, Sikhula Sonke members are victimised to leave the farms and are offered between ten to R50 000 rand compensation, farm worker children are forced to pay high rental or victimised to leave the farm when they reach the age of 18. Refusal to do so leads to electricity or water cuts.

Rus & Vrede, Hydro, Bilton wines, Sterhuis, De Clapmuts and Soverby are just a few farms with appalling practices towards farmworkers.

Workers on Knorhoek were moved to Idas Valley on the basis that the houses will become their property. In October 2008 a 69 year old woman was evicted without alternative accommodation.

On Ernie Els wines, a process to retrench workers has started after a collective bargaining dispute was declared with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

In 2007 several police officers attacked members on Bilton Wines in their home after instructions of the farm manager.

On Kaapfleurs workers are living in pigsties, some for more then 20 years. On Avondrus, Koelenhof farm, Welgevonden, Rus and Vrede, and Vorentoe workers are living in the most appalling conditions.

We call on the public and wine buyers to ensure that the wine they purchases are ethically produced and workers are treated humanely.

Enough is Enough!!!!

We will no longer tolerate ill treatment of workers and demand that Government expropriate farms where there are bad practices.

For more information please contact:
Wendy Pekeur, (083 285 1729) Patricia Dyata 021 8833180 or Denise Julius (073 088 6373)