Cape Winelands farm workers stage week of action against racist farmers – 27 July 2009

The Cape Winelands includes some of the most expensive real estate in South Africa, developed on the sweat and toil of generations of exploited farm workers.  But as Stellenbosch prepared for Wine Festival 2009, workers said: Enough is enough. Enough of living in pigsties, enough of evictions, enough of retrenchments. A week-long programme of radical action got underway on 27 July with a protest on a flower farm, to be followed by a march to Parliament, a meeting at St George’s Cathedral – culminating at the Wine Festival on 30 July where “we will highlight grave issues farm workers are confronted with on these farms on a daily basis”. The programme is being run by various trade unions and organisations, including Alternative Information Development Centre, Engender, ILRIG, Mayibuye, New Women’s Movement, Surplus People’s Project, Trust for Community Outreach and Education.

* Photos and HD footage available