Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An outcome of this thesis, done on farms in South-Africa in the Swartland area, is that
the labour structure in agriculture is still predominantly paternalistic and that
paternalism and empowerment coexist. This co-existence causes tension between
farmers and farm workers as it disrupts the relationship where farmers traditionally
had the authority and farm workers were subordinate, but in the modern farm setting
have a measure of independence. A qualitative approach was used to investigate how
farmers and farm workers perceived their relationship in the past and how they
experience it presently. Individual interviews were held with each farmer and focus
group discussions with workers on farms. The study discusses how farmers and farm
workers maintain paternalism on farms, in the context of the reduced support of the
state to white commercial farmers as well as the expansion and formalisation of
labour and tenure legislation of workers' rights.
The state acted as ‘patron’ to the farmers in the apartheid era, but the state’s patronage
to farmers came to an end with the political transition. Farmers feel frustrated and
miss the support they enjoyed previously. Legislation which challenges the power and
authority of farmers has been extended to farms and provides a framework for the
relationship between farmers and farm workers and establishes a context in which this
relationship occurs. This has brought about that the power and authority of the
“paternalistic” farmers have been exposed and challenged. These changes in farmers’
and farmworkers’ relationship with the state create uncertainties, changes and
adjustments in the relationship between farmers and farm workers on farms.
Farmers still take control of farms, regardless of any legislation. The farm workers
also still tend to define their position as depending on the farmer’s goodwill in
conjunction with formal legislation. However, although the workers are still
dependent on the farmer, they are also aware of their rights in the new democratic era
and they claim these rights. The “old paternalistic relationship” together with the
propagation of new legislation causes tensions as well as disruptions in the
relationship between famers and farm workers. But, forged in unequal relationships of
dependency and loyalty, farmers and farm workers keep commercial agriculture
going.
The information collected is intended to shed light on the complex relationships
between farmers and farm workers on farms. Hopefully this research on several farms
in the Western Cape, in the Swartland environment, can contribute to a better
understanding of the complex relationship between farmers and farm workers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie, wat gedoen is op plase in Suid-Afrika in die Swartland-omgewing,
toon dat die arbeidsopset in die landbou oorwegend paternalisties is en dat
paternalisme en bemagtiging op plase saam bestaan. Hierdie saambestaan veroorsaak
spanning tussen die boere en plaaswerkers en lei tot ontwrigting in die verhouding
waar boere tradisioneel die outoriteit gehad het en die plaaswerkers ondergeskik was,
maar nou in die moderne plaasopset onafhanklik is. ’n Kwalitatiewe benadering is
gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na hoe boere en plaaswerkers die verhoudings met
mekaar in die verlede ervaar het en ook hoe hulle dit tans in die moderne plaasopset
ervaar. Daar is individuele onderhoude met die boere gevoer en fokusgroepe met die
plaaswerkers in hulle eie natuurlike omgewings gedoen. Die studie beredeneer hoe
beide boere en plaaswerkers paternalisme op plase in stand hou, ongeag die
verminderde ondersteuning van die staat aan wit kommersiële boere, asook die
uitbreiding en formalisering van arbeids- en verblyfregwetgewing om plaaswerkers se
regte te beskerm.
Die staat het in die apartheidsjare as “beskermheer” teenoor die boere opgetree, maar
daardie begunstiging van die staat aan die boere het met die politieke oorgang verval.
Boere voel gefrustreerd en mis die ondersteuning wat hulle vroeër ontvang het.
Wetgewing wat na plase uitgebrei is, verskaf nou sekere raamwerke waarbinne boere
en werkers moet optree en stel ook sekere eise wat die konteks bepaal. Dit het
veroorsaak dat die mag en outoriteit van die “paternalistiese boere” tot ’n mate
blootgelê en uitgedaag word. Dit veroorsaak verskeie onsekerhede, veranderinge en
aanpassings in die verhouding tussen boere en plaaswerkers op plase.
Boere neem nog altyd die beheer op plase ongeag wetgewing wat hulle beperk. Die
werkers is ook steeds geneig om hulle posisie te definieer as afhanklik van die boer se
welwillendheid, naas die formele wetgewing. Maar, alhoewel die plaaswerkers nog
altyd afhanklik van die boer is, is hulle tog as gevolg van wetgewing bewus van hulle
regte en maak hulle ook aanspraak daarop. Die “ou paternalistiese verhouding” en die
uitbreiding van formele wette wat boere beperk, veroorsaak dat spanning en
ontwrigting in die verhoudings tussen boere en plaaswerkers ontstaan. Maar, gesmee
in ongelyke verhoudings van afhanklikheid en lojaliteit hou boere en plaaswerkers die
kommersiële landbou aan die gang.
Die inligting wat versamel is beoog om lig te werp op die komplekse verhoudings
tussen boere en plaaswerkers op plase. Hopelik sal hierdie navorsing op enkele plase
in die Wes-Kaap, in die Swartland-omgewing, kan bydra tot ʼn beter begrip van die
komplekse verhouding tussen boere en plaaswerkers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96833 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Loxton, Christine |
| Contributors | Vorster, Jan, Fakier, Khayaat, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 81 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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