More than 300 people attended the Op die Plasie Reconciliation Day celebration at Kleinplasie on Friday in Worcester.

Weeks of preparation went into the event to ensure that workers arrived safely from each of the five local municipalities which are part of the Cape Winelands District. Participant liaison and transport logistics were ably managed by Phuhlisani’s Boyce Williams who organised all the taxis, identified the pick up points and kept in constant touch with workers by phone and SMS, successfully keeping everyone in the loop leading up to the event. Meanwhile Ursula Smith worked closely with Greg West and other officials from the Cape Winelands Department of Rural and Social Development to get everything else in place – sorting out the venue, identify organisations to mount displays and get them there on a public holiday, find musicians, dancers, caterers and sound technicians, prepare certificates and more. Scores of person hours were invested which showed on the day where everything went off without a hitch.

Farm workers who had attended the civil rights education programme or participated in the newly established forums in each local municipality formed the majority of those attending. But there were many others: small farmers who are the beneficiaries of the CWDM’s farmer support programme, farm owners from the District, officials from provincial government departments,  the SAPS, councillors and officials from the municipalities, representatives of NGOs and the main speaker for the event Professor Jonathan Jansen.

Workers started arriving from 8.00 am. They registered and soon the hall was filled with men and women wearing the shirts specially designed and prepared for the event by the Cape Winelands. After refreshments Ivan Klein and his team organised a series of icebreaker activities under the trees while local Worcester band the Crusaders provided the music. Workers visited the stalls set up by TB Care, the CCMA, SAPS, The Paraffin Safety Association, the Stellenbosch Legal Aid Clinic, SASSA and Fun to Run

At 11:00 participants filled the hall and the proceedings were launched by singing the National Anthem.

Cllr EJ Van Zyl,  the CWDM Portfolio Councillor for Rural Development set out the statement of purpose for the day.

He was followed by the award winning Langeberg Riel dancers and the hall pulsated with infectious rhythms and high energy mix of movement, symbol and mime which characterises riel dancing which draws on the deep roots of Khoe and San ceremonial dance

Cllr Basil Kivedo the Executive Mayor of the Breede River Valley Municipality provided a welcome before the Executive Mayor Cape Winelands District Municipality Alderman CA De Bruyn introduced the keynote speaker.

Professor Jansen was born in Montagu in 1956 and it was clear he was on home ground. Clearly not one for the podium Prof Jansen took up the mike and directly engaged with the hall full of workers. Prof Jansen urged farm workers to seek every opportunity to improve both themselves and their children. He spoke of his childhood where he confessed to not being a very good student to start with and where any compliments he received were for neatness rather than content. Then one day he scored a 100% for maths and he described how he could not wait to see his father’s reaction. He imagined his father coming towards him as if in a classic reunion scene from the cinema. But all his father had to say was ‘there is always room for improvement’. Prof Jansen stressed the power of individuals to effect positive change in even the most difficult of circumstances and situations. Prof Jansen received a standing ovation from the crowd assembled in the hall.

Other speakers picked up on the theme adopted by Prof Jansen. They included two farm owners – Mr Philip Jonker from Wetevrede and Prof Mark Solms of Solms Delta Farm. They both told stories about the possibilities and energies of change which could result from new thinking and ways of doing things.

 Prof Solms emphasised the importance of story-telling which enabled people to understand and begin to come to terms with their respective histories. He observed that “in the second decade of our democracy, hidden or ignored narratives have revealed themselves, and our appreciation of our heritage has become far more inclusive. We have discovered that our history, however difficult, painful and complex – as well as inspiring – is the shared basis for our future”.

The museum established on Solms Delta attracted 40,000 visitors last year. It sets out the long and complex social history of the 320-year-old estate. The museum is located next to a recently excavated Later Stone Age settlement site, and the exposed foundations of a 1680s hunting lodge, one of the oldest buildings in the Cape.  

Prof Solms described the work of the Wijn de Caab Trust, established in 2005, which has set out “to break the cycle of poverty and dependency among historically disadvantaged tenants and employees on the Solms-Delta estate. Since 2007, The Wijn de Caab Trust has been a one-third owner of the three adjacent farms that comprise Solms-Delta, and receives 33% of the profits from Solms-Delta wine sales.

The Trust covers the additional costs of ‘model C’ education, as well as vital remedial help and other forms of educational assistance. Crèche facilities and an after-school Educational Centre are currently being established. Financial support for tertiary education is available to qualified learners, and an active adult education programme is also supported.

Workers and small farmers also had their say. Mr Dawid Muller Co-ordinator of the Stellenbosch farm workers forum and Maggie Kawula of the Langeberg Forum made powerful appeals for farm workers to find their voice and to develop ways for establishing dialogue with employers to promote farm worker interests and needs.  Elize Kleinhans of High Vegs Organics spoke about how she was trying to establish herself as an organic producer with assistance from the Cape Winelands District small farmer support programme. Nazely Valentyn of the Simondium Rural Development Forum spoke about the work of this newly registered NPO.

Unsurprisingly these inputs took a bit longer than planned. But they provided the start for many conversations which will continue into the future. Op die Plasie makes it clear that there are many good things taking place in the District. The challenge remains as how to amplify and grow these forces for good so that they give rise to many more new stories on farms. This requires the conscious creation of spaces which enable farmers, workers, NGOs and government to enter into dialogue to address the complex issues and challenges impacting on the farming sector. It requires that cases of abuse and violence on farms from whatever quarter are met with a clear and firm response.

Phuhlisani’s training team of Boyce Williams, Eugene Liebenberg, Claud Woodman, Douglas de Bruyn and Elroy Mathys  were on hand when farm workers who had attended courses on their rights in terms of ESTA, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Sectoral Determination 13 were presented with certificates.

Lunch was then served and people visited stands and queued at the TB Care stand for voluntary HIV and TB testing. The SAPS put on a dog training and obedience display before the Langeberg riel dancers kicked up the dust in a final outdoor performance before workers caught their transport home at the end of the day.

Phuhlisani thanks all those who participated in the event and for giving their time to make it such a success.

Masithethe, Laat ons praat, Let’s keep on talking!