Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform Mr Gugile Nkwinti today (Friday, 06 October 2017) handed over the Sun Orange Farm in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape to 50 beneficiaries farm workers as part of the implementation of the policy framework on Strengthening the Relative Rights of People Working the Land (50/50 policy).
The Sun Orange Farms (Pty) Ltd in the Kirkwood area is owned by 3 Shareholders namely; James Hannah owning 13.6%, Sontule Investments (Pty) Ltd represented by Dr Brummer with 6.4%, IDC (40% direct shareholding) and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) - DFD (40% held to behalf of Workers Trust).
The Workers Trust, comprising 50 beneficiaries was established in 2001. The company is involved in citrus farming and currently owns five (5) portions of land totalling 756 hectares, 300 hectares is under cultivation. The farm is a thriving enterprise with some of its produce exported to international markets. At present 35 permanent jobs have been created and 53 long-term contract workers are employed with a further 250 seasonal workers.
The farm secured a R38 000 000 Grant from National Empowerment Fund (NEF) to purchase the 40% Workers Trust portion of the IDC shareholding for R20 066 000.
Speaking at the hand-over, Minster Nkwinti described the agreement as ground-breaking, adding that it will see lives of farm workers radically changed. The 50/50 programme allows government to acquire a stake in farming enterprise on behalf of the workers and to purchase the land in order to provide tenure security for the farmworkers.
The minister said the initiative aims to empower farm workers while at the same time recognising the contribution they have made to the development of the farms on which they work.
Quoting from the Freedom Charter the Minister said government wants workers to benefit because they work the land. "The Land shall be shared amongst those who work it. Today we are witnessing the implementation of the freedom charter ", he added.
According to the Minister the Sun Orange Farm also serves as a model for the 50/50 programme which is been rolled out around the country. During the event the Minister handed over Land Use Rights Certificates to the beneficiaries, as symbol of their rights to their property.
The Minister urged the beneficiaries to treat this farm as a business not a project. He told the workers they are not typical workers but we are shareholders of the business therefore they must take good care of it to ensure its growth.
In conclusion the Minister Nkwinti said the acquisition of equity by farm-workers brings fundamental change in the control mechanism of the farm must follow and that it introduces co-management of the farm based on relative equity-holdings and the capacity of each participant in production and management.
The department is working towards the revitalisation of the rural economy through the social and economic empowerment of farm workers and communities. As a consequence through the 50/50 programme, farm workers and dwellers will no longer have reason to fear farm evictions because tenure security will be secured.
