Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council -
1) notes with concern that the DA-led Swartland Local Municipality in the Western Cape has served eviction notices on small-scale farmers in the Wesbank area in Malmesbury, many of whom are disabled, to vacate their farm land by August 2013;
2) further notes that this is despite the fact that the municipality had in 2008 signed lease agreements with them which only expire in 2018;
3) also notes that the money that these farmers derive from their farming activities is their only income;
4) further notes that, if evicted, they will be unemployed and be left with no income to support their families; 5) also notes that by this action, its failure and neglect to provide these farmers with the necessary technical and managerial skills and financial support to empower them to create sustainable livelihoods, the municipality negates its constitutional obligation;
6) further notes that the municipality undermines government policy and programmes to support small-scale farmers to enhance subsistence food production, to eradicate rural poverty and unemployment and to improve rural economic development;
7) takes this opportunity to condemn this behaviour and action by the Swartland municipality; and
8) calls on the Ministers of Rural Development and Land Reform and of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to intervene as a matter of urgency.