Farmworkers in dialogue

For the first time an opportunity has been created for the farm worker community to enter into a dialogue with role-players in Agriculture in order to become full partners in mapping out the future of Agriculture. For much too long discussion about, for and on behalf of farm workers took place.

As Minister of Agriculture, I took the initiative to call a farm workers indaba on 17 and 18 August 2004 at Elsenburg with the aim of affording the farm worker community the opportunity to come to the table to talk for themselves. The indaba will act as a point of departure in a bigger process in the interest of the farm worker community.

The aim of the indaba is to allow the farm worker community and the different Government structures, NGO's, Organised Agriculture and others to enter into discussions in a spirit of reconciliation to determine the gap between the service providers and the users. Government departments will have the opportunity to introduce their policy frameworks and services. On the other hand, farm workers will be able to raise their need for services and highlight the issues of concern. Following this, a process to narrow the gap will be put into place for future development of the process through sustained communication.

Thus the theme: Farm worker in dialogue.

Topics such as rural education; economic empowerment; violence and safety; social structures and sport; the value of labour legislation; housing; health; women; children and disabled persons will be on the agenda.

In an effort to achieve the goals of the greater South Africa and specifically that of the Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Ebrahim Rasool, of a home for all, this is a process whereby we want to enable the farm worker community to take charge of their own destiny. We want them to become full partners in the home for all in the Western Cape. The end result: Farmworkers in Action.

Alie van Jaarsveld
Media Spokesperson
Ministry: Agriculture - Western Cape
Cell: 084 6046701