Melkkraal farmers accuse land reform officials of corruption

Five emerging farmers in Odendaalsrus have accused land reform and rural development officials in the Free State of corruption. They say they’ve been living under the threat of eviction from the Melkkraal farm since 2019.

The farmers say officials have already given someone the bigger portion of the farm while they still have a lease agreement. They say they feel deserted by the people who are supposed to protect them at the 1 863 hectare farm.

Marry Lebeko Jabane is the daughter of the main member of the cooperative. She says she left her job when her father passed away, as she was registered by her father to take over.

“There’s a lot of corruption in this government thing, those land reform officials; they are so corrupt and heartless. It seems as if they just grew up from being rich; they’ve never been poor; they’ve never tasted poverty. It seems as if they are not black people because they always think of themselves and not other people. They always want things for themselves; they want to put money in their pockets. They don’t even think of our emotions, how we feel, or how we are getting hurt from this whole ordeal. I’m not okay at all.”

The emerging farmers say they are living in fear, not knowing what will happen next. The farm of 1 863 hectares, which was allocated to the five members of the cooperative in 2011, has now been divided, with 1200 hectares given to a new owner, leaving them with 600 hectares that are not enough for their livestock to graze on.

The farmers say they are harassed by the officials from the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, who told them that they are on the farm illegally. One of the farmers, Makunye Seheri, says they are surprised because their lease indicated that it is automatically extended.

“I don’t do anything; I don’t farm. Because those guys from land affairs threatened us, there were people who came here to fight us, and we don’t have time to fight, we have time to work. To help people, to give people skills, and to do many things.”