Eviction loopholes shut

2003-11-24 16:49

Pretoria - Legislative changes were in the pipeline to make it even harder for farmers to arbitrarily evict their workers, the land affairs department said on Monday.

To this end, draft amendments to the Extension of Security of Tenure Act and the Labour Tenants Act should be published by September next year, director-general Gilingwe Mayende said in Pretoria.

The department was also looking at consolidating the two pieces of legislation, which he said had been found lacking in a number of areas.

"Some land owners abuse loopholes and weaknesses in the system," Mayende told reporters. This often resulted in drawn-out and expensive court cases, pending which farmworkers were evicted in any event.

Mayende would not divulge the specific amendments envisaged. "It is a work in progress, and we are still exploring our options," he said.

The changes were aimed at better securing farmworkers' land tenure rights and giving the authorities more power to act against abusers.

Public consultations on the matter would start early next year.

- SAPA