At the Centre, 70 Zimbabwean men, women and children are housed in flimsy tent structures. They live on the gratuity of good Samaritans with no ablution facilities; they have one common area for communal bathing, a nearby bush to relieve themselves. They are largely in a state of shock, with anxious expectations of, and need for, humanitarian and legal support from human rights and labour organisations.
They are the former employees of farmer P.V. de Walt of Johannesberg Farm who were forced off the farm following a wage dispute in September 2015 over a demand for overtime pay. Mr. de Walt then and now has refused to pay the farm workers the South African Government’s sectoral minimum wage of R120.32 for 8 hours and instead pays, on average, between R60-70/day to his workers for 18 hours. This is in blatant violation of South Africa’s labour laws and regulations. At the Johannesberg Farm, a normal day begins at 6am and ends at 12 midnight, and workers receive no paid sick or annual leave. They are subjected to beatings, and several are suffering from various medical conditions caused by unsafe and strenuous working conditions at the farm, as well as unsafe drinking and bathing water from a nearby river.
When the Zimbabwean workers requested overtime pay of R10, Mr. van der Watt and neigborhing farm owners on September 16, 2015 unleashed dogs and fired tear gas and rubber bullets on a crowd of defenceless women, children and unarmed workers. At least four workers were allegedly abducted and taken to Baltimore game reserve for torture and possible murder. The shacks of several of the farm dwellers, along with their passports and personal belongings, were also burned by the farm owners.
The consortium of organisations that visited the group of farm workers that are now receiving some support from the South African Government and the Zimbabwean Consulate recorded rampant labour and human rights abuses that have taken toll of these victims.
While Mr van der Walt has been charged for his labour and human rights abuses, the victims worry that justice will not be done because of his reported connections. Even during our presence, Mr Van de Walt and his family repeatedly drove past the Disaster Management Centre and shouted obscenities at his former Zimbabwean farm workers.
As organisations, we implore the South African government and possible partners to:
- Comprehensively inspect the conditions of all farm workers in Limpopo and elsewhere.
- Properly investigate and impartially prosecute all reported instances of human rights abuses and alleged torture on farms without fear or favour.
- Ensure that salaries for all farms workers are paid in terms of gazetted minimum wages,
- Fine and shut down the farms of repeated violators.
- Assist these 70 Zimbabweans with the necessary documentation to enable them to earn a livelihood until their court cases for pay and compensation against the Mr. van der Walt are finalised .
- Partner with civil society, organized labour, and farmers to carry out a comprehensive education campaign on the rights and conditions of workers under South African labour legislation and the South African constitution.
- Address the immediate and urgent health needs of the displaced farm workers.
For more information, contact the undersigned:
- Solidarity Center –South Africa
- Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF)
- House of Hope –Ithemba
- African Diaspora Workers Network (ADWN)
- Migrant Workers Unin of South Africa
- Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU)