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Security of Farm Workers Project
The Project was established in October 1998 to protect and promote the rights of rural dwellers directly threatened with eviction. In addition to defending farm workers facing possible eviction, the Project promotes and advocates for the tenure security rights of farm workers through the facilitation of training workshops, the bi-annual publication of Die Okkupeerder newsletters, and other networking activities.
Cases and Judgements
(Case)
(Case)
News
6 December 2011
(Press release)
Publications
The purpose of this booklet is to provide an overview of LHR’s litigation activities and our role in public interest litigation in South Africa. The booklet has been designed thematically and looks at past LHR cases with a view of planning for future projects and activities to develop human rights jurisprudence in South Africa.
Lawyers for Human Rights–Security of Farm Workers Project kom elke dag in aanraking met plaaswerkers. Op dié manier het ons agtergekom baie okkupeerders verkeer onder die wanindruk dat die Wet op Uitbreiding van Sekerheid van Verblyfreg, Wet 62 van 1997 (ESTA) eiendomsreg op die persoon gee wat die huis op die plaas bewoon. ’n Plaaswerker ontvang nie eienaarskap van ’n huis wat aan hom op die plaas toegeken is nie. In die verlede, voor November 1997, was daar geen wetgewing wat plaaswerkers se regte op plase gereguleer het nie. Die gevolg hiervan was dat plaaswerkers onregverdig uitgesit is sonder dat daar enige hofproses gevolg is deur die grondeienaar. Derhalwe is ESTA in November 1997 gepromulgeer om die volgende te reguleer:
- Die voorwaardes vir verblyf op sekere grond soos plase
- Die voorwaardes vir en omstandighede waaronder mense se reg op verblyf op grond beëindig kan word
- Die regsproses wat deur die grondeienaar gevolg moet word voordat ’n plaaswerker uitgesit kan word.
Lawyers for Human Rights–Security of Farm Workers Project have contact every day with farm workers. Through this, we have found that there is a misconception by occupiers that the Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997 (ESTA) grants occupiers ownership rights to their residences which they occupy on farms. A farm worker does not receive ownership of a house that has been allocated to him on a farm. In the past, prior to November 1997, farm workers had no protection regulating their rights of residence on a farm. As a result, farm workers were unfairly evicted without any court processes being followed by a land owner. Therefore ESTA was promulgated in November 1997 to regulate the:
- conditions of residence on certain land, such as farms
- conditions and circumstances under which the right of persons to reside on land is terminated
- legal process which has to be followed by the land owner, before a farm worker may be evicted.
Policies
(Date published: 05/05/2011)
(Date published: 05/11/2008)