Land initiative sees farm workers become co-owners

THE policy on Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land, otherwise known as 50/50 has moved up a gear. The 50/50 policy framework is an initiative of the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, which aims to assist farm workers to acquire security of tenure and to become co-owners of the farms on which they spend most of their lives as workers.

The implementation of the initiative has seen a national rollout upon which the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform enabled farm workers to acquire equity share of the farm they work at.

The initiative has seen farmworkers acquiring half of the farms in various provinces like at the York Agric farms in Christiana in the Free State, Westcliffe farm outside Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, Stars Away Farm in Zeerust, North West and Solms Delta Wine Estate Farm Franschhoek in the Western Cape.

This is simply empowerment and a noble way of addressing the land question, affirming the call to share the land as pronounced by the Freedom Charter.

This is also a real attempt at economic emancipation of black farmworkers.

The 50/50 programme is implemented to restore the dignity of the people, which was eroded by land dispossessions which happened over 340 years ago when land was seized during the colonial era.

At a recent launch at the Stars Away farm in Ottoshop near Zeerust, Minister Gugile Nkwinti said that he was encouraged by the contribution the programme is making to- ward improving the lives of poor farmworkers.

“Now that farm workers have acquired a share in the farm business, they are now taking control of their situation. In this way they will feel that they are part of South Africa”, he said. He hailed the launch as a milestone.

The launch of the project follows the conclusion of an agreement which will see farm workers and the farmer become co-owners of the farming enterprise.

The department acquired a stake in the land and the farming business on behalf of the farm workers. Both the commercial farmer and the farmworkers beneficiaries have established a new company that will run the business. THEMBA MZULA HLEKO Pretoria