Minister, ons glo dis verkeerd om Stellenbosch in hierdie geval uit te sonder. Stellenbosch verskil nie van die res van die land nie.
Huisvesting is sekerlik een van die kernkwessies wat hier ter sprake is. Terwyl dit die regering se grondwetlike verantwoordelikheid is om toegang tot voldoende huisvesting vir almal te verseker, is die vraag of die regering die afgelope jare sy plig nagekom het om behuising vir plaaswerkers te voorsien. Die vraag is ook in watter mate boere finansieel ondersteun was om behuising vir plaaswerkers te voorsien. Indien nie, hoe beplan die regering om toekomstige huisvesting vir plaaswerkers te verseker, ter bevrediging van boere sowel as plaaswerkers? Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P J C Pretorius: Hon Minister, we believe it is wrong in this case to single out Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch does not differ from the rest of the country.
Housing is surely one of the key issues that is relevant here. Whilst it is the government's constitutional obligation to ensure access to adequate housing for all, the question remains whether the government has fulfilled its obligation to provide housing to farmworkers in recent years. The question is also to what extent farmers were supported financially to provide housing to farmworkers. If not, how does the government intend to ensure housing for farmworkers in the future, to the satisfaction of farmers as well as farmworkers? I thank you.]
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Chairperson, I have explained that we are looking at all farmworkers in the country. But since the protest was from farmworkers in the Stellenbosch area, we are focusing on this area. We agree that Stellenbosch does not differ from other areas. At least for now the member is acknowledging that there is abuse. In the past, they even refused to acknowledge that such abuse existed. I am glad that at last the member is acknowledging that there is abuse. [Applause.] About the development of housing on farms, a farm happens to be private property. The state has no legal opportunity to develop state housing on private property unless farmers allow a certain section of the farm to be rezoned as housing land. The state has no legal right to develop housing on the land of the private property of farm owners. Up until now, particularly white farm owners have been reluctant to give up land for the development of housing by the state.
The approach we are developing now with the Minister of Human Settlements is to request different organisations that organise farm owners to allow us to cordon off and to rezone a piece of land from farms which are privately owned to ensure that we can establish housing villages which will be in the form of eco-villages for farmworkers. I think that the state has had no opportunity to do this. Where there is private property, there is limited opportunity available for the state to intervene. You would notice that where there were farm schools, those farm schools were treated as public schools on private property. The state had limited opportunity to even renovate those schools since they belonged to the owner of the farm as private property. [Interjections.] Thank you. [Time expired.]