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Workshop Report: Buffering Against Instability
Agbiz, in partnership with Kwanalu, organized a workshop aimed at equipping members of the farming community with strategies to cope with instability and unrest, drawing from the experiences of the July 2021 unrest in KZN. The workshop sought to facilitate learning from past challenges and foster collaboration to build resilient communities capable of addressing and preventing future upheavals. Pannar Seed kindly hosted and sponsored the workshop.
Presentations
in the workshop
Sandy
la Marque's Presentation (Kwanalu)
Sandy
la Marque from Kwanalu provided insights into the events of the July 2021
unrest, emphasizing the pivotal role played by organized agriculture during the
crisis. Key lessons learned by Kwanalu included the establishment of a Joint
Operations Centre (JOC) for coordination, the effectiveness of farmer-led
leadership, the importance of real-time information and communication and advice
on what peoples’ rights were under the circumstances, and the value of
multi-agency collaboration. During the July 2021 unrest in KZN there were
incidents of looting, arson, road-blockages, intimidation and the burning of
crops amongst other. The unrest hampered access to food and the movement of
goods and services for all that were affected.
Trade was impacted, not only in KZN, but countrywide. The presentation
is attached.
Presentation
by Julian Channing-Pearce (Umvoti community G911)
Julian
Channing-Pearce shared how Greytown worked to protect the town from the unrest
and subsequent actions taken. There was very little intelligence beforehand and
they did not expect the unrest. At the time of the unrest there were no police
reservists or commandos.. Many cellphone
towers were down – they had to largely rely on the existing radio-network. There
was a lot of false information going around. Lots of gunshots were heard. The
community was then divided into sectors and ordinary townspeople assisted in
manning roadblocks that were set up to protect the town. He highlighted the
establishment of a 24-hour service call centre funded to monitor town security.
Greytown has been actively involved in crime prevention initiatives, fostering
relationships with community sectors, emergency services, and engaging with
investigators and the judiciary to address crimes against its members.
Presentation
by John Odendaal (Pannar Seed)
John Odendaal stressed the importance of acting in an organised and co-ordinated fashion. Pannar Seed had a crisis response plan in place. Lines of communication proved to be important as did building trust-relationships with the surrounding community.
Presentation
by Ian Hill (G911)
Ian
Hill said that communities need to take responsibility for their own safety and
be proactive. G911 used to be a very small organisation and had to
professionalise, improve its administration and move to a full-time management
structure. They also had to change their funding model. He said that security
companies and the SAPS should ideally work closely together.
Presentation
by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS)
Dr
Chandre Gould from the ISS, assisted by Bongiwe Mlangeni provided an overview
of crime and its consequences in the
country, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between communities and
businesses in rural areas. The ISS mentioned how important it is for the
employer or business to care for their employees’ wellbeing. The presentation highlighted the significance
of fostering relationships between affluent and poor communities. The ISS violence prevention forum practices deep democracy, listening to communities en
advocated the fostering of unusual partnerships. The ISS was keen to keep on
working with the agricultural community to prevent violence. The presentation
is attached.
Sandy
la Marque presented the Woman and Youth in Rural entrepreneurship (WYRE) programme. This programme is a true reflection
of communities and business working together, a programme of faith and hope,
where communities are coming together. Kwanalu's (WYRE) initiative offers a
comprehensive support package aimed at fostering self-employment and job
creation in rural areas. This includes providing basic business administration
skills, leadership training, business incubation, and financial support to
successful candidates. The program aims to address inclusivity in agriculture
by empowering individuals across the value chain, including producers, traders,
and service providers. Additionally, it prioritizes rural safety and security,
recognizing the importance of creating a conducive environment for economic
development in rural towns. The presentation is attached.
Presentation
by PJ Hassard (Kwanalu)
PJ
Hassard shared his person experience of building a relationship with his
neighbouring community over a period of 30 years and emphasised how critical
trust was. The community came together during the 2021 unrest an all acted in
unity to protect the town of Hluhluwe.
Key
Insights and Recommendations:
The workshop underscored the importance of preparedness, intelligence, coordination, and collaboration in enhancing resilience within agricultural communities. Participants were encouraged to implement lessons learned from past experience and continue working together to strengthen the resilience of rural areas against future challenges.
The workshop served as a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders in the agricultural sector. By learning from past experience and leveraging collective efforts, participants aim to create stability and foster thriving agricultural communities.
Next
Steps:
Stakeholders
are encouraged to implement the strategies discussed, foster ongoing
collaboration, and remain vigilant in addressing challenges to ensure the
resilience and prosperity of rural areas.
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