In a rural part of Limpopo, South Africa, 20 small-scale vegetable farmers face harsh realities after being evicted from their communal land last year. These farmers, part of the Mopani Farmers’ Association, were displaced by a traditional chief to make way for a commercial fruit farming operation. Despite holding evidence in the form of permission letters to farm the land since 2014, their crops and livelihoods were abruptly destroyed by excavators in July 2022.
The tribal authority, however, claims the farmers lacked proper permits and didn’t create enough employment. Deprived of their main income source, many farmers are now struggling, with some attempting to rent other communal lands. Legal avenues for compensation remain, but with limited success in engaging the chief so far, the future remains uncertain. Community leaders and legal experts criticize this eviction, labeling it as a setback to land reform efforts in the region. The Department of Agriculture encourages affected farmers to seek legal recourse.
Original Source: GroundUp News
Date: 2024-06-13 03:00:00
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