In this area, my research is focused on the victims of evictions now residing at the Orient Hills squatter camp and two families residing inside the Greenway farm living in constant threat and fear of being evicted by the farm management. The views of young people residing in the area are to be considered by a separate group interview session with them. JACSA and three Community Development Workers (Cdws) working in the area also participate in the interview sessions.
The Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) is part of the Westrand District, which covers an area of approximately 110 000 hectares, with Krugersdorp as the major CBD. The City incorporates the previously racially divided black and white areas of Kagiso, Munsieville, Rietvlaie, Heckport, Kroomdraai, Magalisberg, Muldersdrieft, Taralton, Azzadville, and Krugersdorp. The City otherwise known as the City of Human Origin is also home to the Cradle of Humankind a
World Heritage Site. MCLM has the largest population estimated at 598 853 in the West Rand Region. The (MCLM) is twice the size of Randfontein and three times that of Westonaria. Mogale city have a strong agriculture sector. There is also mixed farming on offer in Mogale City that includes:
• Fruit orchards and vegetables;
• Flower farms that produce a good percentage of the flowers required in Gauteng; • Instant lawn growers; and
• Animal farming, including chicken farms.
All the farms like the Greenway farm are within easy reach of the Joburg Market, Gauteng’s biggest fresh produce market. Most farms in the area are small scale to medium in size and many rely on labour intensive products (vegetables, fruits and flower farms). The farmers are organised and represented by Agriforum a regional body affiliated to Agri-SA. With the creation of municipal districts, farm owners have now become subject to the national law providing municipalities with the right to evaluate and impose rates on properties, including those in rural and farming areas from 1 July 2009. This saw the formation of the Magalisberg Region Rate Payers Association representing farm owners across the municipality. This has also led to evictions of farm dwellers by landowners.
There is a number of pending restitution cases from some of the evictee’s of Orient Hills awaiting the opening of the claiming period. Numerous land redistribution cases involving the purchase of land by the Mogale municipality for human settlements have already taken place and a further 55 people benefited from land redistribution through the support of LRAD and JACSA in Masakhane just after Magalisberg.
A few years after the South African transition to democracy, the city has seen an increase in numbers of landless people. This is owed primarily to evicted farm dwellers from surrounding farms, and due to in-migration of people from within and beyond the borders of South Africa seeking employment opportunities in nearby farms. The farm evictions have resulted in the mushrooming of different informal settlements in and around the Mogale area, occupied by former labour tenants and farm dweller with no housing alternative. Moss Sekobane, the chairperson of JACSA estimates that there are about 350 evictions cases in the area of Mogale that left around 420 people homeless and forced to
settle in nearby informal settlements such as Orient hills, Norman Brickwales, Video center, Alsida, Mayford , Shisa phama, Mulderdrift, Becaendan, Swaartkop/Malinini, Kroomdraai, Gamaogale, Heckport, Smock down, and Matsalapad. All these informal settlements are situated in remote areas without access to basic services from government, economic opportunities and transport. Most of their residents are poor and illiterate, relying on government grants and seasonal work provided from time to time in nearing farms. In all these areas access to economic opportunities and information is limited. 4.1.3 Randfontein Area.
In this area, my research would explore two separate cases of intimidation, unfair dismissals, violence, racism, power abuse against farm dwellers refusing to be evicted. The case of the family residing in the Marolien farm in Brandvlie as well the family living in Vlaaikop farm just outside of Randfontein will be explored. Both these families face evictions and are subjected to daily intimidation and live in constant fear.
The Randfontein Local Municipality (RLM) falls within the borders of the West Rand District Municipality, as one of the three local municipalities and it is part of the Gauteng Province. It is characterized by higher levels of unemployment and poverty and low level of education and income. The location of the Randfontein Local Municipality, like Mogale city, is adjacent to the North West Province and makes it more prone to immigration from this province. The total population of Randfontein Local Municipality is estimated to be at 149,286 by the local municipality.
There is a huge agricultural potential and opportunity in Randfontein. Most farms in Randfontein are small to medium size and rely largely on labour intensive products such as vegetables, animal farming including chicken and herbs plantation like the Marolien farm situated in Brandvlie about 8 kilometers away from the town Randfontein. Randfontein just like Mogale City, incorporates previously racially divided areas such as Westegeloor, Randfontein, Homelake, Greenhills, Heliknpark, Randgate, Culeborpark.
4.1.4 Justice Access Community of South Africa (JACSA), my contact to the area and its