Evicted Vredendal farmworkers given fighting chance for justice

VREDENDAL farmworkers whose houses were allegedly bulldozed by farm owners say they now have a fighting chance after the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development appointed attorneys to assist them in bringing restoration applications.

Wilmary Claase, 57, who had lived on Excelsior Farm for more than 16 years, said she heard from colleagues that her home was bulldozed in February when she had gone to visit her children in Saldanha Bay.

This as the home of 36-year-old Kerneels Beukes, who lived with his wife and four children, aged 13, 11, 7 and 2, on Akkerdal Farm, was also allegedly bulldozed with all their belongings inside, and without an eviction order by farm owner Frikkie van Zyl while he was imprisoned for common assault.

Earlier, department spokesperson Vuyani Nkasayi said the appointment of a legal representative had been requested through the Land Rights Management Facility.

Claase yesterday said she had met the appointed attorney and was relieved that they were receiving assistance as she was now living with one of her daughters.

Executive director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation Billy Claasen welcomed the move by the department. “Furthermore we hope they stop looking at alternative accommodation as there were no formal eviction applications in both cases.

“The legal team must work towards the enforcement of the rights of the affected people. It is for too long that some farmers do as they please. This gross human rights violation must stop,” he said.