Western Cape farmers using drought to get rid of workers, union claims
A TRADE union has warned that farmers in the Western Cape intend to use the prolonged dry spell as a pretext to shed jobs.The government has already declared KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Free State drought disaster areas.On Tuesday, the City of Cape Town announced that it had intensified water restrictions as the drought had left city dam levels lower than normal. The restrictions started on January 1.The curbs had been initiated to "preserve the long-term sustainability of the resource", the city said.It said although it would increase prices to encourage greater water efficiency, customers’ bills should remain at a similar rand value if they cut usage.Late last year, the Western Cape cabinet requested the government to also declare the province a drought disaster area. A request was also made for disaster relief to assist farmers.The agricultural sector, among the Western Cape’s most important, has been hard-hit by water shortages."As a result of the drought,...
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