Afr.j. polit. sci. (1997), Vol. 2 No. 2, 118-131 
Introduction 
Land is a means of livelihood for the bulk of Africa' s population. It is also the basic 
source of food security. But it is more than a means, and a source of food and 
employment. It is also where the forests, the flora and fauna flourish, and where 
people have buried their ancestors. And so land has an enormous spiritual value 
too. Land was the reason for the liberation wars in Africa. And yet land everywhere 
in Africa is still not liberated. It is either directly owned by the former settlers who 
cameto Africa during the colonialperiod, oreffectivelycontrolled byfertilizerand 
pesticide sellers who appropriate all the added value that emerges out of the toil 
of poor peasants and farm workers. 
It is against this background that about a hundred representatives of farm 
workers, trade unions, peasant associations, women's associations, and NGOs 
working in the area of land, labour and food security within the Southern African 
region came to discuss matters of mutual concern and to share experiences. It was 
jointly sponsored by the International South Group Network (ISGN) based in 
Harare, and three NGOs based in South Africa, namely. Farmworkers Research 
and Resources Centre (FRRP), the National Land Committee (NLC), and the 
Environment and Development Agency (EDA). A list of the organisations that 
attended the Conference and those who came from other solidarity and funding 
organisations is given at the end of this document. 
The Conference was divided into three sub-conferences, one on land, the second 
on labour, and the third on food security. Each came with its own set of resolutions 
and recommendations. These were then integrated into one, and the result was the 
landmark declaration that is now the "Southern African Charter on Land, Labour 
and Food Security. (Yash Tandon) 
Southern African Charter on Land, 
Labour and Food Security 
We, organisations, people's movements, trade unions and NGOs meeting at the 
Southern African Regional Conference on Land, Labour and Food Security, and 
1027-0353 © 1997 African Association of Political Science
Document 119 
together with support from other regions of the world, have discussed and analysed 
with concern problems concerning land, the position of farm workers, and the 
general political, social and economic marginalisation of rural people in Southern 
Africa. This situation, caused by colonialism and apartheid, is being entrenched by 
structural adjustment programmes and other neo-liberal economic policies in the 
region. Patriarchal social relations within our countries have further marginalised 
rural women and youth. 
We believe and demand that policies and principles related to land, rural labour, 
and food security should follow the principles of social justice, gender equality, 
en vironmentaljustice, and democracy. We put forward the following principles for 
the immediate attention of governments, people's movements, trade unions, 
NGOs and other organisations in the Southern African region. 
Food Security 
1. Food Security is a basic human right. 
2. The means for the production - land, water, seed and biological resources, 
technology and credit - and distribution of food as a social good should be 
under the control of the people of Southern Africa, and therefore guarantee 
access to food for everyone. 
3. Gender equality is a precondition for food security. 
4. Food production in Southern Africashould be based on sustainable approaches: 
indigenous technology strengthened by eco-friendly modern additions. 
5. Traditional systems of food production should be revived and strengthened. 
People must empower themselves and disempower the multinational 
corporations. Resist the imposition of the modern food systems, their 
environmentally destructive technologies, dietary food habits and consumerist 
values. 
6. When our governments negotiate with the World Trade Organisation and 
with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, they must enure 
that they represent all of the people's interests, especially those of the poor, 
and resist the imposition of unjust conditions and policies on our countries, 
people, and environment. 
7. Corruption in Government, the private sector, and civil society must be 
exposed and seriously addressed in our social movements.
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8. We express regional, continental and international solidarity in working for 
food security for all! 
Rural Labour 
1. The improvement in the general working conditions of farm workers across 
the region, to a level that is conducive to a free and healthy life. 
2. The improvement in the general living conditions of farm workers, independent 
ownership of housing, access to basic resources such as clean potable water, 
nutritious food, electricity, adequate health systems and education. 
3. Security of tenure and an end to the threat of evictions for farm workers and 
independent access to productive land and other resources enabling farm 
workers to exercise the option of a healthy and happy existence independent 
of commercial land owners. 
4. The prioritisation of farm workers as recipients of land and related support 
services under existing and future land reform programmes. 
5. The right of farm workers to organise, and engage in free collective 
bargaining; the extension to farm workers of all protective legislation 
enjoyed by workers in other sectors. 
6. Equal political rights for farm workers as for all other citizens. 
7. The establishment of minimum wage mechanisms which ensure that farm 
workers are able to live above the poverty datum line as established for 
individual countries in the region. 
8. The advancement of women farm workers so that they are equal living and 
working conditions with their male counterparts, and incorporated into 
organisational and decision making structures of unions at all levels. 
9. The monitoring and regulation of child labour, with the express intention of 
abolishing the conditions which give rise to it; equal pay for equal work and 
conditions of work where the practice has not yet been abolished. 
Land 
1 • Equal access to and ownership of land is a basic human right.
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2. Land reform policy should break up the monopoly of land by landlords, 
commercial farmers and MNCs and give equal and secure ownership of land 
to those who live and work on it. 
3. Land policy should be developed with the full participation and input of the 
landless and rural poor, with specific emphasis given to the interests of rural 
women and the youth. 
4. Gender equality, defined as women's independent and equal access to land 
and resources, be advanced through land reform. 
5. Land reform policy should not be solely driven by the interests of 
multinationals, World Bank, IMF and WTO. 
6. Land reform policy must be driven by the principles of social justice and 
basic needs as opposed to market forces. 
7. People who have been displaced from their land by conflict or unjust policies 
need to have the right to claim their rights to land. 
8. Inter-territorial claims should be settled within the principles and agreements 
oftheOAU. 
RESOLUTIONS 
Multinationals 
Noting that: 
• MNCs and commercial farmers dominate agricultural and food production 
and distribution in the SADC region; 
• MNCs are noted for unfair labour practices, continued profiteering and 
amassing millions of dollars of profits from the sweat of farm workers. They 
also transfer profits and dividends out of our countries, and the SADC region; 
• the farm workers and people in general are not aware of the economic 
domination and practices of these MNCs; 
• the lack of information and co ordination amongst farm workers employed 
by different subsidiaries of MNCs in the SADC countries and other countries 
as well;
122 Document 
• SADC governments are promoting the establishment of Export Processing 
Zones (EPZs), supposedly to provide jobs by attracting foreign investment. 
However, experience in other countries have shown that EPZs have only 
succeeded in providing cheap, docile labour for the MNCs and the workers 
have remained exploited and impoverished; 
• MNCs are unaccountable to the people and governments of the region; 
• the practices of MNCs are not socially responsible, nor are they contributing 
to democracy in the region. 
We therefore resolve: 
1. To advance research and information dissemination on the practices and 
operations of MNCs in agriculture and food; 
2. To co-ordinate information dissemination and action of farm workers 
amongst subsidiaries of MNCs in SADC and other countries; 
3. Advance lobbying and pressure tactics, and develop networks and joint 
action within SADC countries to curtail, regulate or stop practices of MNCs 
against workers and people; 
4. EPZs must not be promoted, and where they exist the workers rights to 
organise, to associate freely, to collectively bargain, and to strike must be 
fully guaranteed. 
Minimum Standards for Farm Workers 
Noting that: 
* the vast majority of farm workers across the region receive wages that put 
them well below the poverty line; 
* in almost all cases, farm workers are not protected by the basic labour 
legislation enjoyed by workers in other sectors of the economy; 
* farm workers in the region have little or no access to productive land and 
other resources which might allow them to enhance their capacity to exist 
independently of the farm owners;
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• housing bound to employment is used as a mechanism of social control by 
farm owners over farm workers; 
• the casualisation of labour, with increasing burden especially on women's 
labour; 
• the increasing precarious nature of farm work on account of Structural 
Adjustment Programmes. 
We therefore demand: 
1. Minimum wages set at or above the poverty datum lines of each of the 
countries in the region; 
2. Minimum standards on living and working conditions for all farm workers 
in the region; 
3. The extension to all farm workers of protective legislation applying to 
workers in other sectors; 
4. The progressive establishment of tenure security for farm workers and the 
prioritisation of farm workers as recipients of land and support in current and 
future land reform programmes; 
5. The right to independent ownership of housing for all farm workers. 
Rural Women 
Noting that: 
• women have traditionally been denied equality of opportunity; 
• the value of reproductive labour has not been recognised by society; 
• women domestic workers are often exploited, and abused in the workplace; 
• women remain excluded from the operation and decision making processes 
of organisations and trade unions.
124 Document 
We demand the following: 
1. Affirmative action programmes in education, training, employment and land 
ownership. Since women have traditionally been denied equality of 
opportunity, we demand preferential access to these areas in order to bridge 
the gender gap. 
2. Recognition of reproductive labour. We demand that the ILO standards for 
reproductive labour be acknowledged as minimum standards to assure job 
security for women, i.e. three months paid maternity leave and provision for 
breast feeding as well as the establishment of well equipped and staffed 
creche facilities. We will seek to transform the household relations such that 
men and women take equal responsibilities for household production. 
3. The working conditions of domestic workers be regulated - including 
working hours, minimum wages, health, welfare and pension benefits. We 
further demand that pension rights for dependent women should include 
sufficient funds and time for the potential relocation of the family in the case 
of divorce or death of the husband. 
4. That the role of women workers be addressed through gender sensitivity 
programmes in trade unions, NGOs and at the workplace - focusing on 
women's actual participation in production, and decision making. 
5. The equal representation of women in trade unions, so that unions can 
represent the interests of women farm workers. 
Children 
We define "child labour" as the employment of minors which deprives them of 
their rights to education. 
Noting that children are still being employed under exploitative conditions, we 
demand that the conditions giving rise to such child labour should be abolished. 
Participation of Farm Workers in Local Government 
Recognising the right to participate in all levels of government as a basic right, we 
note with concern the legislated discrimination against farm workers where they 
are prohibited from participation in local government on the basis of property or 
any other discriminatory qualifications.
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We therefore resolve that there be unconditional participation by farm workers 
in local government in all countries in the region. Local government structures and 
operation must be restructured to allow rural workers unconditional and full 
participation. 
Land Reform 
Recognising that the historical processes of colonialism and apartheid deprived 
people of their basic human rights to land. We are concerned that the current 
policies which are being pursued by our national governments continue to 
marginalise the rural poor from access to land and the resources required for the 
development and use of land. 
Noting that: 
• exploitative labour conditions on farms, the "grabbing" of land, and the 
degradation of the environment by multinational corporations are occurring 
in our region; 
• governments are under internal and external pressure to carry out land 
reforms according to the interests of the MNCs, World Bank, IMF, and 
WTO; 
• governments are not making appropriate choices in relation to land reform; 
• there is a lack of capacity and political will on the part of government to 
implement land reform; 
• there is a lack of transparency on the part of governments in the formulation 
and implementation of land reform; 
• women are excluded from government decision making levels and processes. 
We therefore demand the following actions from our governments: 
1. Acknowledge that equal access to and ownership of land is a basic human 
right. 
2. Land reform policy should break up the monopoly of land by landlords, 
commercial fanners and MNCs and give equal and secure ownership of land 
to those who live and work on it.
126 Document 
3. Land policy should be developed with the full participation and input of the 
landless and rural poor, with specific emphasis given to the interests of rural 
women and the youth. 
4. Gender equality, defined as women's independent and equal access to land 
and resources, be advanced through land reform. 
5. Land reform policy should not be solely driven by the interests of 
multinationals, World Bank, IMF and WTO. 
6. Land reform policy must be driven by the principles of social justice and 
basic needs as opposed to market forces. 
7. People who have been displaced from their land by conflict or unjust policies 
need to have the right to claim their rights to land. 
8. Inter-territorial claims should be settled within the principles and agreements 
oftheOAU. 
Food Security 
Noting: 
• the marginalisation of small farmers by the unjust economic practices of the 
global corporate powers and their local and regional subsidiaries; 
• the prevalence of landlessness and the displacement of small farmers; 
• the serious degradation of the soil and the erosion of biodiversity resources 
due to chemical based mono-cultural systems and patents on seeds, plant 
varieties and life forms; 
• unfair trade and domination of the region by South African and international 
corporations; 
• the choices that the SADC governments have made under pressure from the 
Multinational Corporations, international Financial Institutions which increase 
our debt burden, and result in the undermining and marginalisation of food 
production capacities in the region; 
• that food aid undermines local production, destroys local food systems and
Document 127 
undermines dignity of people, creates markets for multinationals, creates 
dependency, creates opportunities for corruption and can be used for short 
term political gain; 
• the negative effects of patriarchy, the division of labour in the household and 
customary and common law systems on food security; 
• the high levels of poverty in our societies and that many households have no 
access to the means of food production; 
• the many negative consequences of chemical based monoculture-food 
production, including environmental, damage, marginalisation of people, 
food production, unhealthy and poisonous foods; 
• that an African economic community should support the efforts of farmers 
to achieve food security for all Africa's people. 
We hereby: 
1. Aim to democratise production and distribution in agricultural systems, and 
also promote sustainable agriculture to achieve food security. 
2. Call for a revolutionary, holistic land and agricultural reform based on the 
principle of "land to the tiller". 
3. Resolve to promote sustainable agriculture and call for the removal of 
agriculture from Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and 
when the World Trade Organisation undertakes its agricultural review in 
1999. 
4. Demand recognition of fanners' rights to indigenous seeds and their in situ 
conservation, and that developed countries meet their commitments to 
provide funds for such conservation. 
5. Call for the establishment of just and equitable trade in the Southern African 
region. 
6. Resolve to lobby, empower and strengthen progressive elements within and 
outside the policy making apparatuses. 
7. Resolve that while we accept that under conditions of disaster, food aid is 
necessary for humanitarian reasons, it should always be accompanied by
128 Document 
strategies for rehabilitation which will lift the people out of the situation 
which caused the hunger. 
8. Resolve that there must be gender equality, including access for women to 
the means of food production, and access to food: land, water, credit, 
extension services and a fair share of household income. 
9. Resolve to work for unity of action with supportive organisations and 
institutions in Africa and the world to achieve food security for Africa's 
people. 
10. Demand low food prices, no tax on food and nutritious food. 
11. Declare traditional agricultural systems to be superior, and we resolve to 
promote sustainable, indigenous agriculture incorporating eco-friendly 
technology. 
people have buried their ancestors. And so land has an enormous spiritual value 
too. Land was the reason for the liberation wars in Africa. And yet land everywhere 
in Africa is still not liberated. It is either directly owned by the former settlers who 
came to Africa during the colonial period, or effectively controlled by fertilizer and 
pesticide sellers who appropriate all the added value that emerges out of the toil of 
poor peasants and farm workers. 
It is against this background that about a hundred representatives of farm 
workers, trade unions, peasant associations, women's associations, and NGOs 
working in the area of land, labour and food security within the Southern African 
region came to discuss matters of mutual concern and to share experiences. It was 
jointly sponsored by the International South Group Network (ISGN) based in 
Harare, and three NGOs based in South Africa, namely, Farmworkers Research 
CO-SPONSORS OF THE CHARTER AND RESOLUTIONS 
• Action for Rural Development & Environment (ADRA), Angola 
• Agenda for Environment & Responsible Development, Tanzania 
• Associaciao Rural de Ajuda Mutua (ORAM), Mozambique 
• Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA), South Africa 
Association for Northern Cape Rural Advancement (ANCRA), South Africa 
• Botswana Meatworkers Union, Botswana 
• Botswana Federation of Trade Union (BFTU), Botswana 
Botswana Meat & Industrial Workers' Union (BMIWU), Botswana
Document 129 
Centre d'Etudes pour le Developpement en Afrique (CEDA), Burkina Faso 
Co-ordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE), 
Malawi 
Coordinating Assembly of NGOs (CANGO) of Swaziland 
Council of NGOs in Malawi, Malawi 
Council of Swaziland Churches, Swaziland 
Council for NGOs in Malawi (CONGOMA), Malawi 
Ditshwanelo, Botswana 
Ecumenical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation (ESSET), South 
Africa 
Environment and Development Agency (ENDA), Zimbabwe 
Environmental Development Agency Trust (EDA Trust), South Africa 
Farmworkers Research & Resource Project (FRRP), South Africa 
FONSAG, Botswana 
Food and Allied Workers' Union (FAWU), South Africa 
Forum for Sustainable Agriculture, South Africa 
Forum of Angolan NGOs (FONGA), Angola 
Forum on Sustainable Agriculture, Botswana 
General Agricultural & Plantation Workers' Union (GAPWUZ), Zimbabwe 
Group for Environmental Monitoring (GEM), South Africa 
Highlands Church Action Group, Lesotho 
Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Zimbabwe 
International South Group Network (ISGN), Third World 
International Union of Food, Agriculture, Hotel, Catering, Restaurant and 
Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), African Region 
Journalist for the Environment & Development (JOPAD), Angola 
Legal Assistance Centre (LAC), Namibia 
Lesotho Federation of Democratic Unions (LFDU), Lesotho 
Lesotho Council of NGOs, Lesotho 
Namibia Rural Development Project (NRDP), Namibia 
Namibia Farmworkers Union (NUF), Namibia 
Namibia Non-Governmental Organisation Forum (NANGOF), Namibia 
Namibian Farmworkers' Union (NAFWU), Namibia 
National Land Committee (NLC), South Africa 
National Union of Farmworkers (NUF), South Africa 
National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Namibia 
Nucleo de Estudos da Terra, Mozambique 
Organisao de Trabalhadores de Mozambique (OTM), Mozambique 
Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), Africa 
Rural Selfhelp Development Association (RSDA), Lesotho 
Rural Development Services Network (RDSN), South Africa
130 Document 
Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores Agro-Pecuario e Florestais (SINTAF), 
Mozambique 
South African Agricultural, Plantation & Allied Workers' Union 
(SAAPAWU), South Africa 
Southern Cape Land Committee (SCLC), South Africa 
Southern African Trade Union Co-ordinating Council (SATUCC), SADC 
Region 
• Swaziland Council of Churches, Swaziland 
• Swaziland Environmental Justice Agenda (SEJA), Swaziland 
Tanzanian Plantation & Agricultural Workers' Union (TPAWU), Tanzania 
Transkei Land Service Organisation (TRALSO), South Africa 
Transvaal Rural Action Committee (TRAC), South Africa 
Uniao Nacional de Cooperativas (UNAC/UGC), Mozambique 
WFD, Southern Africa Office 
• Yonge Nawe Environmental Organisation, Swaziland 
• Zambia Civic Education Association, Zambia 
• ZERO (Regional Environment Organisation), Zimbabwe 
• Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Zimbabwe 
OUTSIDE SOLIDARITY GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS 
• Africa Groups of Sweden, Sweden 
Centre for Trade Union Services (CTUS), Egypt 
• Centro de Estudios Internacionales (CEI), Nicaragua 
Consejo de Instituciones de Desarrollo (COINDE), Guatemala 
Databank and Research Center, IBON, Philippines 
Fonds voor Ondwikkelings Samenwerking (FOS), Belgium 
• Forum for Environment and Development (FORUM), Norway 
ICCO 
Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IDRF), Philippines 
Karnataka Rajya Ryota Sangha (KRRS), India 
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Philippines 
Netherlands Organisation for International Development Co-operation 
(NOVIB), Netherlands 
Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (NORAD), Norway 
Oxfam, Zambia/UK & Eire 
United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Zimbabwe 
Lake Darwendale, Zimbabwe 
25April 1997
Document 131 
The Charter is open for signature and support from individuals (workers and 
farmers, members of Parliament, members of Government, academics, 
journalists and other social activists) as well as organisations. A revised lists 
of co-sponsors will be issued after sufficient signatures are received. 
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
International South Group Network (ISGN) 
7 Dougal Avenue 
The Grange 
Harare, Zimbabwe 
Phone: 263 4 499079 
E-mail: ytandon@harare.iafrica.com 
Farm Workers Research & Resource Centre (FRRP) 
38 Melle Street 
Management House House, 2nd Floor 
Braamfontein 2017, South Africa 
Phone: 27 11 3396671/3 
Fax:27 11 3396808 
E-mail: FRRF@wn.apc.org 
National Land Committee (NLC) 
185SmitSt. 
Auckland Hse, West Wing, 9th Floor 
Braamfontein, South Africa 
Phone: 27 11 4033808 
Fax: 27 11 3396315 
E-mail: NLC@wn.apc.org 
Environment & Development Agency (EDA) 
54 Siemert Rd, New Doornfontein 
Hallmark Towers, 5th Floor 
2028 Johannesburg, South Africa 
Phone: 27 11 8341905/6 
Fax: 27 11 8360188 
E-mail: victor@EDA.org.za