Canegrowers call on government to declare a state of emergency

14th July 2021

By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Senior Contributing Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Industry organisation the South African Canegrowers Association is calling on government to declare a state of emergency and to immediately deploy more South African National Defence Force troops to bring law and order in hotspot areas, following the outbreak of violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

“KwaZulu-Natal is not only ground zero for the unrest, but also the heart of South Africa’s sugar industry. Gauteng has also been hit hard, with the destruction now extending to Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.

“The lawlessness evident throughout the country has caused enormous harm to the national economy. That this is taking place in the middle of the harvesting season has caused irrecoverable losses to cane growers, workers, and the one-million livelihoods that depend on the sugar industry,” the organisation stated in a July 14 release.

It said the running total of the damage to South African canegrowers to date was 353 000 t of sugarcane that have been lost to arson.

At R600/t, this represents a revenue loss of more than R211-million.

Millers have been equally devastated, which has had a knock-on impact on the entire industry, the organisations noted.

It said all sugar mills in KwaZulu-Natal have been forced to cease operations as they cannot receive cane or distribute sugar and molasses owing to disruptions to transport routes and blockades at these mills.

Workers have also been threatened, further prompting mills to shut down to protect their staff, the organisation pointed out.

”The damage already sustained will cripple the industry long after the unrest has been quelled, resulting in job losses in rural areas where unemployment is rife. Without immediate and drastic measures to restore the rule of law, the ongoing damage to critical infrastructure may soon become irreparable.

“SA Canegrowers is communicating and cooperating with government as well as community and industry organisations to prevent and mitigate as much of the damage as possible. Our priority at this time remains the protection of lives,” it noted.

In a separate statement, trade union UASA spokesperson Abigail Moyo said the union was “devastated” by the closure of KwaZulu-Natal sugar mills as a direct consequence of the violence and looting in the province.

Moreover, it is concerned about union members employed on sugarcane farms who may stand to lose their jobs if nothing is done to bring the situation under control.

“Sugarcane farms have been torched and cane trucks hijacked, making it impossible for farmers to continue business. Approximately 300 000 t of cane has been lost to arson during the current protests.

“The local sugar industry was under threat from international imports over the last few years and now, just as the sector was stabilising through the interventions of farmers and government, they have to face the threat from fellow South Africans,” she pointed out.

UASA has also called on government to step in and get the situation in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng under control.

It also urged South Africans to keep the welfare of fellow citizens in mind before engaging in mindless violence and looting.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION