Corruption Watch calls for probe into failed farm worker equity schemes

CORRUPTION Watch has urged the Public Protector to investigate the systemic failures of Farm Worker Equity Schemes (FWES), alleging ongoing injustices against farm workers.

- MANYANE MANYANE

The organisation said it has received various reports from community-based organisations regarding FWES's failure to achieve its objective of contributing to land reform.

The project was introduced 30 years ago following the change to a democratic government and was designed to empower farm workers by giving them shared ownership of commercial farms.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) implemented the project.

Since last year, the department has been split into Agriculture with John Steenhuisen as Minister and Land Reform and Rural Development with Mzwanele Nyhontso as Minister.

Corruption Watch said the initiative has failed, leaving many workers without the benefits they were promised.

Melusi Ncala, a senior researcher and project lead at Corruption Watch, said this was intended to be a transformation initiative but it was hijacked by government officials and commercial interests.

In its letter to the Office of the Public Protector, Corruption Watch said the schemes failed due to abuse of power and an undue delay in resolving the complaints of the beneficiaries, and maladministration of FWES and the disbursement process.