More than 40 farmworkers employed by the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (Mega) were dismissed without warning — only to be offered six-month contracts after a two-week protest demanding reinstatement.
The affected workers at the state-owned Tekwane Citrus Farm say they were discarded like “disposable labour” by the very government they trusted to provide job security.
“We lost our minds and decided to protest until they listened,” said farmworker and protest leader Senzo Ndukuli, speaking to Sunday World after spending 14 days outside Mega’s offices in Mbombela.
The protest erupted after workers received termination letters dated March 31, instructing them not to return to work the next day.
“Please note that you should not report to work on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, as you will no longer be an employee of Mega,” reads one of the letters from the general manager’s office.
What stung even more, workers say, was learning that Mega had gone on to advertise more than 200 fixed-term positions for the very same roles they were fired from — some with contracts lasting as little as six months.
“We worked through rain and heat to keep this farm productive,” said Ndukuli.
“Now they want us on six-month contracts so they can avoid giving us benefits. It would make sense if a racist boss did this to us — but it’s our own government.”
Nehawu steps in
Although the workers were eventually rehired after pressure from the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), they say they are still at risk of repeated exploitation due to the short-term nature of their new contracts.
“Imagine protesting every day just to get a six-month contract. How are we supposed to build families, plan for our children’s futures, or sleep at night knowing we’ll be fired again in a few months?”
Ndukuli, who has only been at the farm for three years, said some of the workers have been at Tekwane Citrus Farm for more than 12 years — harvesting, pruning, planting, and packing fruit that contributes to Mega’s bottom line.
Yet, they have remained on fixed-term contracts without medical aid, pension benefits, or long-term security.
Nehawu’s provincial secretary, Welcome Mnisi, described the dismissal as a betrayal, especially ahead of Workers’ Day.
“No union can sit back while workers are dumped overnight. We had to step in. The process was messy, the dismissals were unjustified, and the solution — temporary contracts — is still unfair,” said Mnisi.
He said Mega had previously assured the union that no terminations were planned.
“We were shocked. We had been negotiating for permanent absorption. These are not casuals — they are trained, experienced workers on a state farm.”
Workers signed employment contracts
He called for the citrus farm to be shifted from Mega to the provincial agriculture department, where workers could be permanently employed like other public servants.
“The skills are there. The experience is there. What’s missing is the political will to treat them like human beings. We need dignity, not six-month renewals.”
Mega is a state-owned entity tasked with driving investment, job creation, and economic growth in Mpumalanga.
It operates under the provincial department of economic development and tourism, which is responsible for promoting inclusive economic development and overseeing key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and enterprise support.
Together, Mega and the economic development department are meant to champion the government’s commitment to reducing unemployment and poverty — making the dismissal of experienced farmworkers from a state-run citrus farm not only controversial but also a contradiction of their mandate.
Meanwhile, Mega chief executive Isaac Mahlangu said the farmworkers were re-employed after being interviewed afresh.
“The 43 employees subjected themselves to the interview process on the 9th and 10th of April, and they have signed employment contracts,” said Mahlangu.
Protection from retrenchments
Asked whether there was a plan to make the positions permanent, Mahlangu said the implementation agreement ensured protection from retrenchments under Section 189.
Responding to reports about a possible 30-year lease to the private sector instead of handing the farm over to the department of agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs (DARDLEA), Mega said the matter was still under discussion.
The agency said it was exploring options such as making the farm a subsidiary of Mega, partnering with the DARDLEA, or continuing to run it internally.
“This process is ongoing. The government has committed not to apply terminations due to operational requirements,” said Mahlangu.
When Sunday World asked the economic development department if it was proud of its record on job creation — in light of the firings — spokesperson Silence Mhlaba denied any wrongdoing.
“Various options are being considered to make the farm productive with no harm to labour,” said Mhlaba.
Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content
