Deadly protest rocks Kirkwood

A farm worker was shot dead as protesters shut down Kirkwood on Monday,  blockading roads with burning tyres and clashing with armed security guards hired by farmers as well as police.

Benito Moses, 35, was found unconscious and covered in blood on a hill that overlooks the Habata Boerdery farm just after 12pm.

He was rushed to Sunday’s Valley Provincial Aided Hospital but died later due to loss of blood.

Scores of farm workers and residents have protested for almost a week in Kirkwood, demanding an hourly wage increase of R6.81 and a 30% limit on the hiring of foreigners.

On Monday, splinter protest groups stopped traffic and closed roads, with several streets resembling a war zone and only a few shop owners brave enough to stay open.

On top of the hill overlooking Habata Boerdery, there were running battles between protesters and security guards for most of the morning.

Police fired rubber bullets to quell the crowds. Vehicles were torched and three people were injured.

Tensions between the workers, represented by the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), and affected farm owners escalated on Wednesday after representatives of the region’s farmers’ forum failed to show up and receive a petition from the protesting workers.

The forum eventually accepted the petition on Thursday but promised to revert to the workers in three days.

The forum was adamant the wage hike was impossible.

Habata Boerdery  pays workers R23.19 an hour, according to the Government Gazette of February 9 2022.

Sections of Habata Boerdery and surrounding farms have been set alight during the protests. 

The protesters have also demanded to be registered for benefits such as provident fund contributions and have raised issues with Habata Boerdery allegedly overcharging workers on transport fees.

Juma Sanud, 31, said his brother, Moses died after being shot in the head.

“I am devastated. It was just the two of us in Kirkwood.

“The doctors told me that he was shot with live ammunition.”

Sanud said he still had to contact their family in Malawi.

“He came to SA about a year ago to find work and was only recently hired.

“I must now find the money to transport his body home,” he said. 

The protest started in the early hours of the morning with residents blocking roads out of townships.

A group of about 1,000 residents — including children — then headed to the Habata Boerdery hill and battled with security guards for almost three hours.

The protesters then noticed that Moses was missing and a group of men went to search for him.

They returned a few minutes later carrying Moses. His head and chest were drenched in blood.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana said one person was killed during the protest and three were injured.

“One of the injured is a police officer and the third person is reported to be a security guard who was also assaulted.

“Two cars belonging to a private security company were also set alight,” he said.

He said a truck in Addo and a vehicle in a nearby township were also torched during the protest.

Farm worker Vuyolwethu Rooibart, 26, said the hourly wage had not increased since 2018.

“The prices of food and other basic household items have gone up. It’s not sustainable any more,” he said.

“We will continue with keeping this town at a standstill until we get our demands.”

Another worker, Simon Radebe, 28, said he struggled to make ends meet.

“With R23.19 you can’t pay even rent. We are expected to even pay for transport and send money back [home].”

Sundays River Sanco chair Patrick Banayi said he hoped the protests would end soon but the farm owners needed to sit down with the workers.

“Habata Boerdery is not inviting us to talk but rather chasing us away, only wanting to speak to the union.”

Habata Boerdery production director Gary Webb said they were looking forward to negotiations, but it was unclear which grouping would sit down with them.

He said there was a union, and that letters had also been sent to Sundays River Valley mayor Simphiwe Rune and Sanco requesting a meeting.

Webb said it was not true that the company employed more foreign nationals as reported by The Herald’s sister publication Weekend Post.

“The R30 per hour is something we cannot afford,” he said.

“But these protests are having a devastating effect on farmers.

“They [protesters] are burning compounds and infrastructure that is needed.”

Webb said it was likely Habata Boerdery was targeted as it was near the main road.

“The presence of police is just not there; they took forever while the residents were already burning.

“This is going to negatively affect the business,” he said.

He said security was dispatched due to the delayed response by the police and to safeguard company assets.

Sundays River Valley Citrus Company chief executive Hannes de Waal said the group behind the violent action appeared to be a breakaway group from Sanco.

“We have a good relationship with Sanco but it seems they have had a disagreement and this is a rogue breakaway group saying they are doing what they are doing on behalf of our pickers.”

He said farmers were already paying pickers the minimum legal wage linked to a sliding incentive scale and could not afford to pay more.

“But our employment system is linked to various incentives that reward hard work and pickers can earn R40-R44 an hour, up to close to R60 an hour.”

He said with harvesting just starting in the Sundays Valley, the citrus industry was under considerable financial pressure.

“We are struggling to break even.

“If we had to suddenly hike this figure to R30 an hour as they are demanding, we would have to find an extra quarter-of-a-billion rand.

“And since we don’t have that money, we would have to work less which would mean loss of jobs.

“If we had to give in to their demand, the result would be probably 40% job losses.”

He said besides paying the pickers their salaries, the industry also injected money into the communities the workers came from as well as the local schools.

“We have spent R23m alone on keeping water and electricity running in these communities.”

He said the participants in the unrest had caused considerable suffering and damage.

“Our pickers have called us and said they want to work but this crowd will not allow them to do so.

“They have burned crates, cut nets, and destroyed trees, tractors and spray wagons.

“The cost has not yet been added up but probably amounts to at least R5m.”

De Waal said he and his team had communicated the industry’s position clearly to the protesters

“We have told them we cannot meet their R30 an hour demand.

“But we are prepared to discuss anything else they would like to discuss.”

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