CANE FARMERS have come forward and said they want to know about their future in the sugar company, Tongaat Hullets.
They said this yesterday as they were on strike outside the company’s gates, along with some of the employees who work in sugarcane.
They said that now is the time for them to be told about their future as everything is at a standstill, there is no progress with the purchase of their products, which makes them unable to release the sugarcane harvest, and there is no money coming in and the workers are not getting paid.
One of the sugarcane growers, Mr Derrick Mkhize, who said that he employs 70 people in his company, said that the sad thing is that since the news that the sugar company may be closed, his employees have not received their full salaries for two months as there is no income.
“This situation does not only affect us as sugarcane farmers, but many families are affected by it as they rely on us, but what is happening is beyond our control. The workers do not really know what to tell them about this situation because we do not hear anything concrete.”
He said, “If the company closes, everything we’ve worked hard for will die forever, because Tongaat Hullets is our hope. We ask that they meet with us to discuss things going forward, to ensure that the economic situation does not get worse than it is now.”
Members of the public who were present at the march urged the government, leaders in the community and the various companies involved to intervene to protect their jobs.
The Deputy Minister for Women and People Living with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, commented on this issue on Igagasi FM, where he revealed that the government is very concerned about this issue as the Hullets company is large.
He said that the entrepreneurs, especially the small ones, were the ones who benefited the most from this company, and he said that they must fight for it not to be closed, and to continue to create job opportunities.
“We don’t know that there are jobs that are ending in this country, there are many women working in this company as well as young people. The Department in charge of jobs is on top of this issue, that’s why we are the Department and we will not remain silent.”
The sugar company did not comment.