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dam-l Report on Communities affected by Gariep / Van der Kloof Dams/LS
Sorry for cross postings.
This is in two parts:
The first is the testimony of Mrs Mbalula who was one of the farm workers
wives who was moved to make way for the Gariep / Van der Kloof Dams. These
dams were chosen by the WCD as a pilot to test their Case Study methodology,
and hence the second part of this email is a response to the Pilot Study,
and was prepared by MrRs Kibi and Mr Manzana, Faciliatators for Change.
These dams occurred in the context of Apartheid where the white farm owners
were given adequate (in most cases) compensation, whilst the farm workers
were given no warning or compensation, and were in most cases moved of the
land and left by the roadside or "corridor". To exacerbate their situation,
the strict pass laws of Apartheid prevented free movement of black people to
urban areas, and reduced their chances of finding alternative employment and
homes. The issue of family graves left under the water is a serious issue
which came up again and again at the Southern African Hearings, and needs to
be investigated more fully.
Liane Greeff
Testimony of Mrs Mbalula – one of the affected members of the Farm Workers
displaced by the building of Gariep and Van der Kloof Dams
Firstly I would like to thank everyone here, I am speaking Xhosa. I thank
this wonderful time I’m having to come here. I did not know there was a door
upon which we could knock to bring our complaints.
I was staying on the first farm for the Gariep Dam. We were never consulted.
We were only told we had to move out as the farmer had sold his farm. We had
a donkey cart, we had also cattle.
When were were along the road staying there, I was highly pregnant. I gave
birth to a baby son along the road.
We had to sell our cattle for a low price. I am happy to be here so that I
can raise my problem. I am even more poor than I was before because the
farmers just told us to move from the farm. He gave us nothing.
I am having children that died on that farm. Those children are in the water
where the dam is.
A REPORT ON THE PILOT STUDY ON LARGER DAMS i.e. GARIEP AND VAN DER KLOOF
DAMS:
The facilitators were then given a task to further the pilot study as was
taken up by the World Commission on Dams. Our report will then cover the
outcomes of the resettlement for both workers and farmers, lessons and
recommendations
The objectives of the project were good and were partly implemented
particularly the aspect of Tourism Agriculture and Economic Growth for the
country.
OUTCOMES OF RESETTLEMENT
Most farmers were positively affected because the process of consultation
and alternative resettlement was done since the decision was taken on a
political agenda. This have favored mostly the farmers because they were
compensated, though some minimum farmers were not relatively compensated to
satisfaction.
As the decision was on a political bases, the then laws were silent about
workers resettlement and benefits compensation. In the belt of Van der
Kloof Dam more worker have been removed without any consultations, without
alternative work to work and be alternatively accommodated. Workers have
been removed by the Government Workers to the Corridors. Some families have
started their families on the farm and worked there. People had to squat
for approximately ten years in the corridor.
The minimum stock that they had, had to be sold to other farmers so that
people can buy food and clothes for them and kids. Mind you, they had to
sell the stock at a very cheaper price. The resettlement of the workers was
difficult because they were not allowed to enter towns since they were not
registered in towns and be trespassed also forced to pay poll tax by the
then laws. The workers had to move from farm to farm to search for the
resettlement and jobs for ten years in maximum which is unhumanic and
undignifying people.
On the Gariep Dam Belt the similar thing as on the Van Der Kloof Dam Belt
happened with a strange resettlement too. One can clearly spell out that
this was the Governmental and farmers norm and operational standard not to
consult with their workers even if they were not going to be resettled
properly and / or remunerated but to be consulted as for them to look for an
alternative accommodation and work.
A strange resettlement happened when one of the families was removed by the
Government worker to vacate the farm and squat in the corridor. The house
wife was at her last days of her pregnancy ready to deliver. On their way
squatting in the corridor she gave birth to her son who is now driving heavy
transport. She was then assisted by some so called "Colored's" house-wives
to deliver properly. To mention there were no transports and doctors in the
corridor. They had to do the same with their stock to sell them at a very
cheaper prices in order for them to buy food and clothes.
Another amazing resettlement was made when another family was remove with
flood of water approaching the houses. The workers were left by their
bosses on the night before their removal. They had to just take the front
and light thing to be loaded and left their prides and values just there
because water was pressurising them. The people that worked for Government
assisted them to be transported to the corridor. To mention most of the
people's or workers thing i.e. clothes, stocks, pigs, and graves or
cemeteries were left under water. Those workers had to squat looking a
resettlement and job for approximately a number of years.
All these resettlement deft the worker with no other alternative jobs and
accommodations. One can also mention that the laws then did not recognise
the Human Dignity and Equality but favouritism on their approach and
practice was the order.
LESSONS
-Consultation plays a vital role to all spheres of human being.
-Favouritism is the killer of peoples morality and soul even equality and
dignity.
-Alternative accommodation and jobs in future be looked at equal footing on
reparations an remuneration's.
RECOMMENDATIONS
-The facilitators be given resources and times to locate other workers that
were affected by the project development.
-The commission to look at giving remuneration and reparation of some kind
to all removed or victims of the project development (workers/farmers).
-The facilitators be given an authority to establish a committee to take the
needs of the removed farm workers.
This is a report of the Gariep and Van Der Kloof Dams Facilitator in the
conjunction to the reports by the World Commission on Dams.
I thank you!!
Facilitators for Change
Mrs Mirriam Kibi
Mr Vukile Manzana
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Liane Greeff
Environmental Monitoring Group,
PO Box 18977 Wynberg, South Africa, 7824
E: liane@kingsley.co.za Tel: +27 +21 7610549/788 2473 Fax: 762 2238
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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