Broke farmers stage sit-in

2003-09-17 08:40

Mafikeng - North West farmers staged a sit-in at the agriculture MEC's office, demanding a drought-relief grant promised them in 1999, said the poverty stricken farmers' coperative said.

Chairperson Andrew Suping said the organisation had been trying to communicate with MEC Edna Mulewa since 2000 about their grievances.

The farmers, from the Molopo and Ditsobotla areas, had submitted three business plans to which the MEC had not responded and had turned up in vain for countless scheduled meetings with her, he said.

"We are going to wait here even it means waiting until next year," said Suping.

Mulewa, however, vigorously denied the claims.

Regarding the grant allegedly promised to the farmers in 1999, the MEC said she did not know who had made the promise as it was definitely not her predecessor.

She also said she had met the group on countless occasions and been engaged with them since her first day in office.

'Crossed wires' about meetings

Suping said that on August 18, the farmers made an appointment with Mulewa. When they arrived, they were told she was in Russia.

On the same day, the farmers handed a memorandum then-acting premier Jerry Thibedi, who promised that the MEC would meet the farmers on September 16. However, on Tuesday, the MEC was not available, said Suping.

Mulewa, however, said the farmers knew she was in Russia on an official visit when they came to see her in August.

"They knew I was in Russia... (but) they sat in that office until the acting premier went to see them. The premier said you must wait for the MEC who's coming back from Russia on September 15.

"On Monday, they didn't call, they didn't come," she said.

Mulewa said she was at a Minmec meeting on Tuesday in Cape Town and that the farmers demanded she leave the meeting, leave Cape Town, and come to North West immediately to attend to their grievances.

Staying put outside her office

"I'm not impatient, I'll still meet them. I told my office I would like to meet them; I will meet them and preferably on their farms.

"But they are refusing, they say they are staying outside my office," she said.

Despite the apparent difficulties, however, Mulewa said she was confident the matter would be resolved.

"I have really bent over backwards for them, the whole department has. I don't mind people who complain.

"I want people to come forward with their grievances, I want to work with them."

- SAPA