Labour organisation in Western cape agriculture: An ethnic corporatism?

Agrarian reform and South Africa's agro-food system

“…There are no statistics on the number of farm dwellers (as opposed to farm workers, some of whom live on the farms with their families and some of whom do not). Trends towards a reduction in the number of workers and towards off-farm settlement suggest a fairly rapid decline in the number of farm dwellers (Ewert and Hamman 1996;CRLS 2003;du Toit and Ally 2003). Land reform was extended to farm dwellers in the form of limited tenure security and a very minor programme enabling labour tenants to claim land they historically used.…”

Why Paternalism Survives: Globalization, Democratization and Labour on South African Wine Farms

“…The continued exclusion of Africans from the core on-farm labour force served as a reminder of the quasi-alliance between coloured worker and white farmer. If, like Machiavelli of old, farmers played their political cards right, we concluded, this ethnic alliance could result in a 'corporatist' pact, closing the cracks which had appeared in the paternalist relationship (Ewert and Hamman 1996).…”

Policy Visions and Historical Realities: Land Reform in the Context of Recent Agricultural Developments

“…This dual strategy was partly shaped by the actions of workers. Permanent workers, who were mostly coloured, forged an 'ethnic alliance' with white farm owners against black casual workers (Ewert & Hamman, 1996). This clearly helped to solidify farmers' control over permanent workers, while also marginalising casual workers further and diminishing the possibilit y of farm workers organising around common grievances.…”