Eviction threat leaves farm dwellers without a future 

A North West province-based pensioner who has lived and worked on a farm for more than 37 years with her family now faces the threat of eviction from the land she calls home.

Basiame Louw, 74, said her husband and three of her children were buried there, and she hopes that when she dies, she will be buried close to them. She is one of more than 100 farm dwellers in Leliefontein outside Vryburg who are concerned about being evicted from the farm. 

 “I grew up on this farm, and I have a history with it. Some gravesites connect me to the history of this farm. In reality, it is my home,” Louw said. 

She uses crutches to walk due to what she said were long hours of standing while working. 

This comes after the current farmer, Kevin Smithers, who they allege has been their employer for years, informed them that he is selling the property and that the new owners want them to leave. 

“They [farm owner] didn’t pay me a cent for all those years. How am I supposed to start my life over at my age with my condition?” asked Louw. 

Some of the farm dwellers said they simply cannot leave. “This is where our ancestors are buried. It can’t be that when the government promises precedence would be given to those who worked the land, things are happening against us like this,” remarked another farm dweller, Petrus Mashuge. 

He said their lives have been a living hell. “Where am I supposed to take my goats? He [the farm owner] is making us pay because our herd is grazing on his land. We pay an outrageous electricity bill of more than R1 000, and he makes us buy 50kg of mielie meal for R478 and three litres of milk for R71. 

“He even planted surveillance cameras all over to monitor us; we have accepted that he is exploiting us.  He knew if he sold the land he would create a problem for people with nowhere else to stay.” 

Sunday World has seen the payslips that confirm the amounts mentioned. 

Orapelang Gasebue, was a general worker. “My children are buried here. I don’t know any other place. My plea is for the farmer to change his mind.”  

The farm dwellers had a meeting with a member of mayoral committee for economic development, tourism and agriculture, Solly Matobo on Thursday. 

“This to us says we as the government are about to have a problem of people who will be evicted without any place to put their heads down,” Matobo said. 

Matobo said the tension between the farmer and the farm dwellers has been brewing since the beginning of the year. 

“It is my responsibility to take this matter and report it at government level,” he said. 

“We will bring safety and security because we do not know who is arranging what from where. We need to ensure that intelligence people are always patrolling around that farm because there are allegations that a group of heavily armed white men stand at the gate. So, one day we will wake up when people are already dead,” he said. 

 “We will ask the land reform department to ensure that when they think of buying farms around Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, they prioritise this community.”  

He also promised to talk to the social services department to supply food parcels to the farm dwellers, most of whom have already lost their jobs. He pleaded with the farm dwellers not to be confrontational.  

Long-term farm dwellers or occupiers enjoy special rights and are protected by the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, of 1997. However, a report by the land rights organisation Nkuzi Development Association has revealed that more than one million people have been evicted unlawfully since 1994. 

Smithers said the farm has already been sold. “I sold the farm to Mr Jacobs six months ago. I told them a year ago to look for alternative place to stay. I have no say,” he said. 

He refused to respond to the allegations that he exploited and abused the farm dwellers. 

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Boitumelo Tshehle