Only four months after its first harvest, a P300 million commercial farming project that was supposed to reduce poverty is alleged to be actually deepening it.
This allegation was made by none other than Selebi Phikwe West MP, Dithapelo Keorapetse, whose constituency office receives hundreds of complaints from constituents on a monthly basis. Some of those complaints are from workers of the Selebi Phikwe Citrus Project, which has been touted as one of the largest consolidated citrus developments in Southern Africa.
Keorapetse was piggybacking on a question that had been asked earlier by the Sefhare-Ramokgonami MP, Dr. Kesitegile Gobotswang, about “poor labour practices” that commercial farm workers in Tuli Block are subjected to by their employers. Such practices include “being paid below the statutory minimum wages, long working hours without overtime payment, unfair dismissals, living in squalor conditions, no sick leave and verbal abuse.” The question was directed at the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Annah Mokgethi. In turn, the Selebi Phikwe West MP redirected the spotlight to poor labour practices happening within his own constituency, at a citrus farm that has otherwise been garnering excellent press.
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