The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) has intervened to stop the alleged abuse of residents in and
around Outspan Farm in Committees Drift by self-appointed manager Johan du Plessis.
The Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM) has intervened to stop the alleged abuse of residents in and
around Outspan Farm in Committees Drift by self-appointed manager Johan du Plessis.
UPM chairman Ayanda Kota said they went to Outspan on Thursday and told Du Plessis to release a resident’s pigs which he had impounded, to pay the workers for the work they have done and to
prevent him from terrorising them.
“We also told him to pay the R400 electricity bill so that the farm can be reconnected as residents’ electrical appliances are getting ruined due to not being used,” he explained.
“He understood us when we told him that these were resolutions of an earlier meeting with affected residents and workers.”
Kota said most of the lucerne fields on the farm are sitting idle and producing nothing and therefore Du
Plessis has no reason to impound livestock grazing on the farm.
“He released the 11 pigs he had impounded, including eight piglets,” he added. Du Plessis confirmed the
meeting with the UPM on Friday but refused to comment on the allegations levelled against him.
“I want to clear the accusations at a meeting later this week, because none of them are true,” he said. He
added that the meeting will be attended by the UPM, the owner of the farm and the Land Affairs department.
Yesterday Haig Ndabani, who owns the farm, refused to comment on the situation on the grounds that it is a very delicate issue.
“The matter is a security threat as it can send the nation to a civil war,” he said. He added that he regularly discusses security concerns on the farm with Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature speaker Fikile Xasa.
Ward 4 councillor Melikhaya Phongolo said he was not happy with the actions of both the Ndwayana residents and Ndabani.
“I don’t like the attitude of Ndwayana residents who want to take over the farm which is in Makana Municipality whereas they belong to Ngqushwa Municipality in Amathole District,” he said.
He added that the municipality wanted to buy the farm for Committee’s Drift residents in 2007 but the Land Affairs department bought it for Ndabani.
“Haig [Ndabani] is negligent because if he failed to run the farm he should have handed it back to Land Affairs,” he said.
Meanwhile, a meeting between residents from Ndwayana and Outspan, Ndabanin and Phongolo took place in Grahamstown on Wednesday and was facilitated by the UPM.
Ndabani said Land Affairs has informed him that no white people are allowed to reside on the farm. “Soon all the white people will be evicted from the farm,” he asserted.
Ndabani said he did not allow Du Plessis to be in charge of production on the farm but he fixes the farm’s machines when they are out of order.
“Johan is an engineer by profession, and for fixing a machine I usually paid him money or gave him ten bails
of lucerne,” he added.
He also said that when he acquired the farm in 2008 Du Plessis was already living there and that there is no partnership or employment contract between them.
Ndwayana residents wanted to know who gave Du Plessis the right to impound their pigs, cattle and sheep
when they graze on Outspan’s lucerne fields.
Outspan residents further complained that they have been working without pay since he appointed himself as the farm’s manager.
The meeting resolved that a delegation be sent to the farm to tell Du Plessis to refrain from killing and impounding animals as there are no fences on the farm.
According to the residents, he has killed six donkeys which were allegedly on the roadside. Phongolo said that a meeting between Land Affairs department and the affected parties will be held this week.
Department of Land Affairs Extension Officer Swart confirmed that they had received complaints about the farm and that a meeting will be convened soon.
He could not say when the meeting will take place but said the farm is owned by the government and is leased to Ndabani.
