Agriculture

Question by: 
Hon Pat Marran
Answered by: 
Hon Ivan Meyer
Question Number: 
13
Question Body: 
  1. How many seasonal workers (a) have been transported back to the Eastern Cape and (b) were screened and/or tested before they departed to their respective communities;

whether all seasonal workers are screened and/or tested before they depart to other districts and provinces; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Answer Body: 
  1. a) It is impossible to determine the exact number of workers that were actually  transported back to the Eastern Cape, as the Department does not keep a database of every worker that had planned to return to the Eastern Cape.  However, an initial assessment of 13 large employers in the fruit sector, with approximately 8000 seasonal workers between them, is that all these workers were transported to their homes in other Provinces, including the Eastern Cape. 

b) All of these workers were fully screened prior to travelling back to their respective homes.  This was in line with the protocol that was developed between agricultural stakeholders, the Department of Agriculture and the South African Police Services. 

  1. As indicated under 1 above, all seasonal workers are screened before they depart to other districts and provinces, in line with the protocol that has been developed. For information, the relevant section of the protocol is copied here: Section 1The travelling essential worker/s must be screened by the employer before embarking on the trip” and Section 3 “It is recommended that each essential worker be screened before getting on the vehicle, and that proof of such screening be provided to the worker. This proof can be in the form of a note (with employer’s stamp) on the transport permit and must show the following information:
    • the date / time (hour and minute) at which the seasonal worker's fever was taken;
    • the worker’s fever at the time of screening; and
    • the name and signature of the person who performed the screening of the essential workers.”
Date: 
Friday, May 15, 2020
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