25 June 2006
The first follow-up meeting with regard to evictions and land matters in
Jonkershoek is scheduled for tomorrow, 26 June 2006, at 10h00 at the Council
Chambers in Stellenbosch. This will be followed by a press conference at the
same venue.
In view of the problems affecting the farming community it was decided to
have a meeting to resolve the matter in an amicable way and to investigate ways
and means for a possible longer term solution. The initial meeting took place
on 13 June 2006, at Elsenburg and was attended by amongst others,
representatives from the Jonkershoek Crisis Committee, Congress of South
African Trade Unions (COSATU), Agri Western Cape, Mountain to Ocean (Pty) Ltd,
Stellenbosch Municipality, Stellenbosch Landbou Genootskap, Women on Farms and
the Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs and the Office of the
Premier.
This process of dialogue and constructive engagement in agricultural
communities may very well be the first of its kind and may serve as a blueprint
for other similar areas in the Province and South Africa.
The following key principles will form the basis of the planned discussions
over the next three to six months:
* A collective commitment to constructive engagement;
* An agreement that the ESTA is inadequate and needs to be reviewed;
* A moratorium on all evictions in this area, pending the conclusion of
negotiations aimed at 3 -6 months;
* The setting up of Agri-villages;
* The centrality of parastatal and private land in the engagement of
transformation;
* All levels of governance to be included in this process * i.e.
Local/Municipal, Provincial and National government;
* An end to severing basic services to farm occupants;
* Conducting an audit to provide common platforms of information;
* Rooting out those bad apples violating human rights.
Enquiries:
Alie van Jaarsveld
Tel:( 021) 483 4700
Cell: 084 604 6701
E-mail: avjaarsv@pgwc.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Western Cape Provincial
Government
25 June 2006
