JANSENVILLE NEWS - On Saturday 20 November, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) co-hosted an event for farmworkers and -dwellers in Jansenville.

Farmworkers from the Dr Beyers Naude, Koukamma and Sundays River Valley local municipalities participated in the event.

The purpose of the event was to raise awareness around the rights of people working and living on farms and address cases of violation of these rights.

Representatives from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Department of Labour and Legal Aid South Africa also attended the event and made presentations on the services that they can render to farmworkers and -dwellers.

On the same day the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) and SCLC co-hosted an event in Graaff-Reinet. Rural women from SCLC’s areas of operation participated in this event that was aimed at motivating women to promote gender equality to address skewed-gender relations in their communities.

The CGE also responded to the memorandum that was developed by these women during SCLC’s annual Rural Women’s Platform on 29 August and the Rural Women’s Task Team meeting on 14 September. 

Sadly, the need for intensified gender awareness raising was identified as critical as the event coincided with the rape of an 18-year-old girl on Sunday 14 November and the brutal murder of a mother at the hands of her partner on Friday 19 November. Both incidents occurred in Vrygrond.

On Monday 22 November the community of Vrygronde gathered outside the Magistrates Court in Graaff-Reinet to protest against the release of the accused on bail. They handed over a letter supported by an estimated number of a hundred signatories requesting the maximum sentence to be handed down to both accused. 

The Vrygronde community stated that their vision is to promote a healthy environment for everyone to live free and happy and that they will not tolerate violence of this nature.

'We bring you the latest Jansenville, Karoo news'