On 13–14 February 2025, SERI conducted a Farm Dweller Indaba at the Cape Town Verde Hotel. The purpose of the Indaba was to bring together various stakeholders concerned with farm dweller issues, identify opportunities for collaboration, and establish a cross-sectoral support network. This network aims to address the rising demand for legal assistance and collective solidarity in combating unlawful evictions and unfair labor practices taking place on farms . The Indaba was organised in collaboration with Surplus People’s Projects (SPP) and the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU).
The Indaba began with opening remarks from SERI Executive Director, Nomzamo Zondo followed by presentations from the Deputy General Secretary of CSAAWU, Deneco Dube, and SERI attorney Asenati Tukela. They provided an overview of the challenges faced by farm workers and the legal hurdles in the winelands. Land Court Judge L. Flatela and the Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD), Lulama Nkuna, outlined the implications of the amendments to the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA).
The Indaba featured two panel discussions. The first panel provided insights from the Zabalaza Mshengu judgment and the Land Rights Management Committee pilot. It was led by AFRA Strategy Manager Siyabonga Sithole, followed by contributions from uMshwathi Local Municipality and Interim Co-Chair of the Land Rights Management Committee, Mthembeni Mkhize, Interim Chairperson of the Farm Dwellers and Labour Tenant Association (FLASA), Siboniso Ndlovu from the Department of Water and Sanitation, and Ivan Scholtz from KZN COGTA.
The second panel discussion focused on the experiences, challenges, and possibilities for the Western Cape. Co-Director of Women on Farms Projects (WFP) presented on the experiences and challenges faced by farm dwellers post-eviction, including the establishment of the informal settlement “Spooky Town.” This was followed by a presentation by Zanoxolo Futwa from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) on municipal accountability for service delivery. Finally, Prof. Ruth Hall from the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies at the University of the Western Cape highlighted a systematic approach to advancing land reform using Section 4 of ESTA.
Day 2 of the Indaba began with reflections on Day 1, followed by breakaway commissions divided into three groups. Later, SERI’s Senior Communications and Advocacy Officer, Edward Molopi, chaired a plenary session where commissions reported back and outlined the way forward. Several organizations and government departments pledged to develop a cross-sectoral support network for farm dwellers, including:
- South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) – to coordinate the cross-sectoral network as a Chapter 9 institution
- Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)
- Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU)
- Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS)
- Farm Dwellers and Labour Tenant Association (FLASA)
- Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA)
- Surplus People’s Projects (SPP)
- Women on Farms Project (WFP)
- Legal Resources Centre (LRC)
- Legal Aid South Africa
- South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD)
- Department of Human Settlements (DHS)
Farm dwellers remain among the most vulnerable people in South Africa, facing challenges such as insecure tenure and the violation of their human and labor rights in the post-democratic dispensation. While policymakers have developed legislation and policies to protect them, farm dwellers continue to experience unlawful evictions, threatening their livelihoods.