More than 300 Faure farmers face the threat of eviction, thanks to plans by the Western Cape Housing Department to use the land they farm on for a housing development.
The land, between Khayelitsha and Eerste River in Faure, is owned by the provincial government. But some of the farmers have lived there for more than 10 years.
The Housing Department won an interdict application in the Cape High Court in April which orders the farmers to immediately stop working the land. Now the farmers have written to Premier Helen Zille, pleading with her to intervene.
If the housing development went ahead, they said in the letter dated last Thursday, they would lose their income since most were self-employed.
The farmers said while they not trying to impede the work of the housing department, they had to make a case for the right of agriculture to be afforded the same priority.
They made it clear that while they could not afford a long court battle, they would not give up without a fight.
We get the feeling that this development was suddenly spawned when the department heard about people squatting illegally on what they then realised is their land, the farmers, under the banner of the iThemba Farmers Association, said.
Association chairman Craig Jonkers said they were calling on the provincial government to change its mind on the proposed housing development, and for the public to support their fight.
We are poor and the government is not giving us jobs, so we try to help ourselves.
Now they want to take everything away, Jonkers said. Ricardo Jacobs, chairperson of the Surplus People's Project, which is supporting the farmers, said: When will they learn that housing developments without proper consultation fail, like they failed in Delft, Langa and Crossroads?
Housing Department head Shanaaz Majiet said they had acquired the land for integrated,
sustainable human settlement development.
The development envisaged would provide not only houses, but also include a social and economic element.
- Cape Argus
The land, between Khayelitsha and Eerste River in Faure, is owned by the provincial government. But some of the farmers have lived there for more than 10 years.
The Housing Department won an interdict application in the Cape High Court in April which orders the farmers to immediately stop working the land. Now the farmers have written to Premier Helen Zille, pleading with her to intervene.
If the housing development went ahead, they said in the letter dated last Thursday, they would lose their income since most were self-employed.
The farmers said while they not trying to impede the work of the housing department, they had to make a case for the right of agriculture to be afforded the same priority.
They made it clear that while they could not afford a long court battle, they would not give up without a fight.
We get the feeling that this development was suddenly spawned when the department heard about people squatting illegally on what they then realised is their land, the farmers, under the banner of the iThemba Farmers Association, said.
Association chairman Craig Jonkers said they were calling on the provincial government to change its mind on the proposed housing development, and for the public to support their fight.
We are poor and the government is not giving us jobs, so we try to help ourselves.
Now they want to take everything away, Jonkers said. Ricardo Jacobs, chairperson of the Surplus People's Project, which is supporting the farmers, said: When will they learn that housing developments without proper consultation fail, like they failed in Delft, Langa and Crossroads?
Housing Department head Shanaaz Majiet said they had acquired the land for integrated,
sustainable human settlement development.
The development envisaged would provide not only houses, but also include a social and economic element.
- Cape Argus
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