"We
wish to point out that the premier has access to all line function
national ministries that are working on the matter, such as labour,
agriculture, forestry and fisheries and the SA police services," Zuma's
spokesman Mac Maharaj said.
"The premier should thus work with her
colleagues, the ministers in the relevant portfolios, to discuss the
assistance she needs."
Zille wrote a letter to Zuma on Tuesday, asking him to intervene in the De Doorns wage dispute.
"The
consequences of the current crisis will be very severe for the Western
Cape and South Africa as a whole if they are not immediately addressed,"
she said in the letter at the time.
She asked him to delegate Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, who was out of the country, to address the situation.
Table
grape harvesters began protesting in De Doorns last week with a wage
demand of R150 a day. Most earned between R69 and R75 a day, with R80
being the highest and only offer from farmers so far.
The unrest spread to other rural areas and protest action took place in 16 towns.
The
labour department announced on Wednesday that farmworkers would suspend
their protests over wages and living conditions in 16 towns for two
weeks.
Acting Labour Minister Angie Motshekga said the Congress of
SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) had consulted workers and it was agreed they
would return to work on Thursday and stop violence and vandalism.
The
suspension was on condition that the sectoral determination for
agriculture be looked at by the Employment Condition Commission next
Wednesday.
This meant the R70 a day minimum wage for farmworkers would be renegotiated.
Indications
on Thursday were that there were still protests in certain areas.
Western Cape police spokesman Lt-Col Andre Traut said a number of rural
areas were being closely monitored.
"Although no serious acts of violence have been reported as yet, the matter is regarded as volatile.
"Areas
affected this morning are De Doorns, Ceres, and Swellendam, with
sporadic situations in other areas as well. The most recent protest
action is occurring in Swellendam, and although there is no indication
that it is farmworker- related, there could be a link."
He
confirmed a farmworker was killed in Wolselely on Wednesday. He
dismissed allegations that a farmer was killed in Wellington and a
police officer in Ceres the same day.
The Food and Allied Workers'
Union (Fawu) president Attwell Nazo would address workers in Robertson,
Bonnievale, and De Doorns on Thursday.
The union said it had a
"successful visit" to farmworkers, farm dwellers, and township residents
in Ceres and Robertson on Wednesday.
"The success was
characterised by the release of those arrested, following the
negotiations between Fawu and the police, as well as the reception of
the call for restraint from engaging in violence while maintaining
peaceful protests."
Between 20 and 30 workers were apparently released by police in those areas.
"While
workers have rejected a call to return back to work for the next two
weeks, a promise from workers to restrain from violent actions is
welcomed by Fawu leadership," the union said.
Cosatu provincial
organiser Mike Louw told Sapa on Thursday that it would take a bit more
time to inform all farmworkers to suspend their strike and they were
deploying people to areas which had not been informed.
Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich listed five issues that needed to be tackled before there was a resolution.
The first was that politicians had to stop "grand-standing" and start working together on a solution.
The second and third were both applicable to farm employer body AgriSA.
"The
AgriSA must take its head out of the sand and stop undermining the
workers' desire to join a union. AgriSA must add their voice to the
national call for an urgent increase in the minimum wages."
Ehrenreich said the fourth point was for government to speed up the convening of a negotiations forum for the minimum wage.
Lastly, he said workers had to organise themselves by joining unions which represented their grievances.
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