PRESS STATEMENT
Office of the Deputy Minister of Social Development,
Hon. Ganief Hendricks, MP
21 January 2025
DEPUTY MINISTER GANIEF HENDRICKS ENGAGES WITH MINISTERS OF LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND COGTA TO PAVE A WAY FOR A SOLUTION TO FARM EVICTIONS:
The Deputy Minister of Social Development, Hon Ganief Hendricks, MP, has today, Tuesday, 21 January 2025, engaged with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkisi Hlabisa and Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso on seeking workable solutions to stop farm evictions.
The meeting with the Ministers followed the Deputy Minister’s Community Dialogue on 11 December 2024 with farm communities in Drakenstein Municipality in the Cape Winelands District Municipality, Western Cape. The Deputy Minister’s visit was due to an upsurge of farm workers and farm dwellers evictions and their socio- economic conditions Drakenstein.
The matter was raised with President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement a moratorium on farm evictions. The President then ordered that the Deputy Minister engage with Ministers Nyhontso and Hlabisa and provide him with a recommendation, based on legal prescripts on evictions.
Both Ministers expressed regret at the continued evictions and ill treatment of farm workers and farm dwellers. The Ministers agreed that the matters be dealt with urgently through a court process and for a meeting with farm owners. Both the Ministers pledged their departments’ support to legally pursue the matter.
The Ministers will further do a loco inspection to the Nantes farm in Paarl and farm evictees who are living under squalor conditions.
ISSUED BY ADV. YUSUF DALWAI
Media enquiries may be forwarded to Adv Yusuf Dalwai –
074 722 2814