Minister won’t meet farmworkers
Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson would not be meeting with farmworkers in De Doorns in the Western Cape, her office has said.
“Joemat-Pettersson is not scheduled to attend any meetings in De Doorns today, however, if there are any changes, the media will be informed,” said her spokesperson Palesa Mokomele.
Earlier, Mokomele said that Joemat-Pettersson had scheduled a meeting for today to seek a solution to labour disputes on farms in the Western Cape.
The meeting would follow ongoing negotiations between farmworkers and farmers to reach a settlement agreement to end the wage dispute, she said yesterday. Joemat-Pettersson would attend a meeting in Cape Town together with ministers of labour and police, the provincial government, representatives of farmer unions and workers.
Farm workers in De Doorns began protesting on Monday, demanding wages of R150 a day, improved living conditions, electricity, and an end to illegal evictions, illegal immigrant workers and labour brokers.
Earlier in the week, protests resulted in vineyards being burnt, a number of arrests, and the closure of the N1 between Touws River and De Doorns.
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