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Five emerging farmers in Odendaalsrus have accused officials of land reform and rural development in the Free State of corruption. They say they have been living under the threat of eviction from the Melkkraal farm since 2019.
The farmers say officials have already given someone the larger share of the farm while they still have a lease agreement. They say they feel abandoned by the people who are supposed to protect them at the 1,863-acre farm.
Marry Lebeko Jabane is the daughter of the main member of the cooperative. She says she left her job when her father passed away, as she was registered by her father to take over.
“There’s a lot of corruption in this government thing, those land reform officials; They are so corrupt and heartless. It seems that they only grew up being rich; they have never been poor; they had never tasted poverty. It seems that they are not black people, because they are always thinking about themselves and not other people. They always want things for themselves; They want to put money in their pockets. They don’t even think about our emotions, how we feel, or how we’re hurt from this whole ordeal. I’m not okay at all.”
The emerging farmers say they live in fear, and don’t know what will happen next. The 1,863-acre farm, which was allotted to the five members of the cooperative in 2011, is now divided, with 1200 acres given to a new owner, leaving them with 600 acres not enough for their livestock to graze on.
The farmers say they are being harassed by the officials of the land reform and rural development department, who have told them that they are on the farm illegally. One of the farmers, Makunye Seheri, says they are surprised because their lease indicated that it was automatically renewed.
“I don’t do anything; I don’t farm. Because those guys from land matters threatened us, there were people who came here to fight with us, and we don’t have time to fight, we have time to work. Helping people, giving people skills and doing a lot of things.”
source:Melkkraal farmers accuse land reform officers of corruption – Volkskrag News
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