1 in 4 Campaign – 13 million South Africans suffer hunger daily
Close to 200 farmworkers, fisher representatives and activists participated in a rally and march this past weekend, to highlight the scandals of poverty and hunger.
The rally heard that 13 million South Africans, 1 in 4 people, suffered daily hunger in a country that produced enough food for all.
The events took place on 18 October to mark World Food Day that was observed on 16 October in many countries around the world. Held under the banner of the United Nations, the theme of World Food Day focused on Family Farming, but also encompassed other sectors.
The Cape Town programme was organised by Women on Farms and other organisations in support of the 1 in 4 campaign.
Read More
The rally aimed to create awareness about the devastating effects of poverty, food insecurity and women evictions on farms. Masifundise staff together with seven CLSA women from Mamre and Buffeljagsbaai represented the fisherfolk in the rally.
“We as women, whether working on the land or at sea, need to come together and exchange information. You might find that though we are in different industries, we all face food security related issues,” Sarah Niemand, a CLSA member from Buffelagsbaai commented.
“As women we need to be resourceful and find alternative ways of survival. Not all of us can fish and not all of us can be farmers, but together we can find other ways to make a living and help our communities survive,” added Hilda April from Mamre.
The march was preceded by a three hour programme at the Community House in Salt River. The programme saw a number of women from different organisations like the Rural Women’s Assembly, Oxfam in South Africa, Surplus Peoples Project, Tshintsha Amakhaya and other rural women social movements presenting about the challenges they face on farms.
In an invitation statement by Women on farms, the organisation said “ It is an outrage that 30 million, or one in four go hungry despite the fact that the country produces enough food and that we all have a constitutional right to feed. Clearly it is not the availability of food that is the problem but rather access to food”.
The march commenced from Kiezersgracht street in Cape Town and ended off at Parliament, with the handing over of a memorandum to the Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Land Reform and Social Development. The three ministers were not available and representative from the departments received the memorandums on their behalf.
For more background information on 1 in 4, go to the following link: