1. 1 SELECT COMMITTEE LAND AND ENVIRONMETAL AFFAIRS LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS OF FARM WORKERS SPECIFICALLY IN WESTERN CAPE, FREE STATE AND MPUMALANGA PRESENTATION COMPILED AND PRESENTED BY Mokutule J Kgobokoe Chief Director: Sector Capacity Development Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Pretoria Tel: 012 319 7028 Fax: 012 319 6869 Email: DETES@daff.gov.zaDETES@daff.gov.za

2. BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW 2 SOUTH AFRICA Ripe with Abuse Human Rights Conditions in South Africa’s Fruit and Wine Industries HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

3. 3 Every year, millions of consumers around the world enjoy South African fruits and the renowned wines that come from its vineyards. Yet the farm workers who produce these goods for domestic consumption and international export are among the most vulnerable people in South African society: working long hours in harsh weather conditions, often without access to toilets or drinking water, they are exposed to toxic pesticides that are sprayed on crops. For this physically gruelling work, they earn among the lowest wages in South Africa, and are often denied benefits to which they are legally entitled. Many farm workers confront obstacles to union formation, which remains at negligible levels in the Western Cape agricultural sector. Farm workers and others who live on farms often have insecure land tenure rights, rendering them and their families vulnerable to evictions or displacement—in some cases, from the land on which they were born.

4. 4 Farm workers in Stellenbosch collect grapes during harvest time.

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6. 6 A resident of Stofland township returns home.

7. 7 JULY 2010 NATIONAL VULNERABLE WORKERS SUMMIT Almost 2 000 farm workers representing all 09 Provinces

8. 8 JULY 2010 NATIONAL SUMMIT WORKING CONDITION SECURITY OF TENURE SOCIAL DETERMINATION OF HEALTH TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT

9. 9 RESOLUTIONS OF THE NATIONAL SUMMIT ON VULNERABLE WORKERS IN AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES “Towards a better life for vulnerable workers on farms and in forestry and fisheries”

10. 10 DAFF Coordinati ng Role Dept of Labor (Workers) Dept of HET (SETAs) PDAs Vulnerable Workers Programme NGOs and Civil Organizations Dept of Health (Social Determinants of Health ) DRLR (Security of Tenure) Dept of Basic Education (Farm Schools)

11. 11 NATIONAL LEVEL: National Vulnerable Workers Delivery Forum (NVWDF) Approved TORs Task Team No 1 Working Conditions Leader: Dept of Labor Task Team No 2 Security of Tenure Leader: Dept of RDLR Task Team No 3 Social Determinants of Health Leader: Dept of Health Task Team No 4 Empowerment and Training: Leader: DAFF Widest Possible Representation including PDAs DAFF:D:STGM Leadership; Secretariat Services

12. 12 SECTORAL DETERMINATION FOR MINIMUM WAGE NEW R105-00 OLD R69-39