4 Dec 2024 on FMR101.3

The Guardians of Seed, Land, and Life exhibition, held at the historic Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town from 8 to 16 November 2024, was a powerful showcase of women’s vital role in food sovereignty, seed preservation, and sustainable farming practices.

The exhibition was launched by the Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) and the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA), two organisations dedicated to empowering rural communities and promoting indigenous agro-ecological practices.

Their collaboration highlights the importance of women’s leadership in defending land and seed rights, challenging corporate control over agriculture, and ensuring the legacy of traditional farming practices is passed on to future generations.

[ABOVE] RWA Member and Exhibition Guest in conversation at Krotoa Chapel where the exhibition was hosted – Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town.

 

The TCOE, which has long focused on community outreach, education, and social justice, and the RWA, which advocates for the rights of rural women across South Africa, have together created a platform for these women to share their stories and struggles. The exhibition also celebrated the significance of seed-saving as both a cultural and political act, with women farmers, artists, and activists coming together to emphasise food sovereignty, indigenous seed preservation, and the urgent need for intergenerational knowledge-sharing.

[ABOVE] Reinette Heunis, Emily Tjale and Aunty “Ding” at an outdoor discussion with guests at the opening of ‘The Guardians of Seed, Land and Life’ exhibition – Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town.

Emily Tjale (Limpopo Province Seed Saver & Agroecologist) reflects on the deep connection between her family’s health-conscious farming tradition and her own commitment to seed preservation: “How do you at this age manage to be so strong?Because I inherited from my Mum’s genes. My Mum died at 101. Still going walking strong at 100 years and going into the garden and picking up Morogo. Never had all these chemicals, never had all these fried foods. So I took from her as a farmer to be diet conscious. Harvest it, the seed but don’t eat it.”

Emily continues to follow her mother’s path of sustainability by protecting and multiplying the seeds passed down through her family: “In my bag I travel with seeds that I harvested. That I multiply. In my bag I travel with seeds that I harvested. That I multiply. From the seeds my Mum gave me. From the seeds that my granny gave my Mum, from the seeds that I got from my in-laws, the grannies. I’m still protecting that seed. I’m still multiplying that seed. It must not fade away.”

She also highlights the national and global significance of the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)’s efforts, particularly in the fight against Monsanto/Bayer and the State. Being a founding member of the The Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) has strengthened how seed-saving is not just about farming—it’s about ensuring that these precious seeds are passed down:

“This is a victory to RWA. Because we are working with other sisters at ACB fighting Monsanto and we succeeded. Internationally. We are more than 900 seed savers in the Rural Women’s Assembly. The journey that we travelled was very hard, it wasn’t easy.”

[ABOVE] Reinette Heunis and Emily Tjale smile but also acknowledge the immense work put into the seed auditing research prior to all ‘The Guardians of Seed, Land and Life’ exhibitions hosted across the African continent and world.

Reinette Heunis from (Suurbraak Aquaponics) in the Western Cape region speaks emotionally about the exhibition eventually coming to the Western Cape and about how the movement has shaped her beliefs about seed sovereignty and land access.

She says: “It brought tears to my eyes. To be here, to bring it to the Western Cape. I was one of the enumerators. At RWA, here I find home. I accept the journey with everyone. We walked the path with everyone. Our forefathers and foremothers were giving us seeds and we didn’t recognise why but today we can see why we were getting seeds.”

Reinette also stresses the importance of women taking control of their seeds, intergenerational communication and warns against the government’s promotion of non-indigenous varieties:

“We were doing a workshop with younger sisters. Don’t let the government tell you that you can use any seeds. You need to use indigenous and traditional. You need to save your own seeds. They want to kill us. It was hard work.”

She advocates for the #OneWomanOneHectare campaign, which calls for women’s access to land to empower them in food production:

“We need land, we are driving the #One Woman One Hectare campaign so that we women can plant and become sustainable. We need to make sure that this is staying into our families.”

[ABOVE] Elsie Sauls speaks about indigenous seed saving at ‘The Guardians of Seed, Land and Life’ exhibition discussion with guests.

Elsie Sauls (Seed Saver & Agroecologist) – Ashton – Western Cape

Elsie Sauls from Ashton in the Western Cape states that seed saving is a vital practice for safeguarding food security.“I’ve been saving seeds since 2012.” She focuses on preserving  hybrid seeds, which she believes are crucial for long-term food security:“Hybrid seeds can be stored for longer periods, which makes them crucial for future generations.” Elsie has created her own seed bank to ensure that these seeds are protected.

[ABOVE] An indigenous seed array set up by Samantha Lee-Ann Philips from Genadendal in the Western Cape

Samantha Lee-Ann Philips – (Genadendal Seed Saver & Agroecologist)

Samantha, a seed saver and sharer of Genadendal in the Western Cape, is dedicated to preserving the diversity of local seeds.

She shares:“ I’m a seed saver, a seed sharer and a seed carer” These are seeds that I’ve gotten from the neighbourhood gardens, some of this is to save seed and to multiply it. To show the diversity of seeds here in the Western Cape.

Her commitment to seed-sharing extends beyond her local community, as she works to distribute seeds internationally: “To share it among other countries who don’t have these seeds. Other women here who are also in need of seeds.”

Samantha’s words highlight the power of community-driven initiatives to support global food sovereignty movements.

[ABOVE] Anela Jahmena is a reggae music vocalist who was one amongst several artists who performed – Castle of Good Hope Courtyard area.

Anela Jahmena (Vocalist & Performance Artist)

Anela draws a powerful parallel between the nurturing of seeds and people, especially children, emphasising the care that both need to thrive.

She reflects:“Just as children need water to grow,  seeds need care to thrive.”

Anela invites others to recognise the achievements of Black women in the food sovereignty movement, both as caretakers of the land and as nurturers of future generations: “Black women are not just planting seeds; we are nurturing future generations.”

 

[ABOVE] Vanessa Ludwig – Program Manager Africa Gender Unit – UCT in conversation with Healer, Indigenous Medicine Practitioner and Performance Artist, Ernestine Dean who performed at the event.

Vanessa Ludwig (Program Manager, Africa Gender Unit – UCT)

Vanessa has been an advocate for women’s land access and food sovereignty for over 20 years, and she highlights the importance of seed-saving in the broader movement for food justice.

“I’m very much a seed saver. I have been involved in struggles of women’s access to land for over 20 years.”

She mentions that: “Food sovereignty is a core issue for us, and seeds are foundational to this movement.” She stresses that access to land is vital for women to control their food systems: “Without land, women cannot control their food systems.”

Vanessa’s work continues to focus on securing land, soul and water rights for women, as she believes it is essential for them to be able to feed their communities sustainably.

Through the voices of these and many other women who were present, the exhibition illustrated the profound impact of their work in securing a just, sustainable, and equitable food system.

Their words resonate with the broader mission of the TCOE and RWA to protect indigenous farming practices, advocate for women’s land rights, and fight against the corporate forces that threaten food sovereignty. Guardians of Seed, Land, and Life was a reminder of the importance of land and seeds in the lives of rural and all women, and the critical need for these women to have the power to decide how their land and resources are used.

 

The Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) and the Rural Women’s Assembly prior launching the opening of the exhibition “Guardians of Seed, Land, and Life” at the historic Castle of Good Hope which was on display between November 8 up until November 16, 2024 invited 4 guests into studio for the ‘Review of the Arts’ segment on Radio 786.

This impactful exhibition highlights the vital role of women as seed guardians, showcasing their significant contributions to sustainable agroecology and biodiversity in Southern Africa. Through powerful storytelling and captivating visuals, visitors will explore the rich heritage of indigenous seeds and the importance of traditional farming practices.

It documents their invaluable contribution to food and seed sovereignty and the struggle to ensure the recognition of women small-scale farmers, peasants and producers in policy frameworks that protect the rights to seed, land and food.

Guests in conversation with Shanaaz Van Der Schyff included:

• Norah Mlondobozi (Limpopo Province)
• Janice Fiellies (Western Cape Province)
• Wendy Tsotetsi (Gauteng Province)
• Saba Zahara HoneyBush (Communications Consultant)

Empowering Smallholder Farmers Through Agroecology

On the 11th of November, during the Guardians of Seed, Land and Life Exhibition, women across Africa gathered to voice their concerns over seed policy and its impact on our land, water, and food systems.

The Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) and the Southern Africa Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) hosted a powerful workshop at the Koena Art Institute – Castle of Good Hope. This gathering focused on advocacy efforts to protect our vital resources through agroecology, ensuring a sustainable and resilient future for our communities.

Together, we are taking action—one woman at a time—towards a healthier, more secure future.

#OneWomanOneHectare
#LandandWater4Food
#OneWomanatatime

Genadendal, Western Cape – The vibrant Day of Organic Trade and Celebration, held at the historic Werf in Genadendal on October 26, 2024, successfully followed up on the impactful World Food Day webinar that took place on 16 October 2024.

Organised by the Rural Women’s Assembly and The Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE), the event celebrated the crucial role of rural women and small-scale farmers in advancing sustainable food systems and food sovereignty.

[LEFT: Poster for World Food Day event held at ‘Die Werf’, Genadendal]

 

[ABOVE] Beautiful hand painted fabric banner displayed around a tree

[RIGHT] Western Cape Coordinator for RWA: Reinette Heunis from Suurbraak Aquaponics hugging and welcoming women from multiple provincial and nationally based communities to the World Food Day at Die Werf in Genadendal.

On the day of celebration, local women farmers took centre stage, showcasing their dedication to organic farming and sustainable practices. The event provided a platform for them to highlight their hard work and resilience while promoting the benefits of organic produce.

On the day of celebration, local women farmers took centre stage, showcasing their dedication to organic farming and sustainable practices. The event provided a platform for them to highlight their hard work and resilience while promoting the benefits of organic produce.

[LEFT] Fresh produce sold by female farmers at the market at Die Werf, Genadendal.

 

Community members and supporters filled the Werf to engage with the produce on display—fresh organic goods available for purchase—and to celebrate the cultural vibrancy of the region, with local artists contributing their talents to the festivities. This included a song created together with the community by Heal the Hood and a public arts mural painted with children from the Primary and High Schools together with the HoneyBush Healing Arts Platform and Tess and her group who assisted with activities for the children, like face painting.

 

[ABOVE] Locally based school children painting World Food Day Mural in Genadendal

[ABOVE] Children at Tess and Group’s Bead Making & Face Painting tables.

[LEFT] Heal the Hood recording a song focusing on land and female farmer rights including their struggles at Die Werf, Genadendal.

 

The gathering not only emphasised the importance of local food systems but also encouraged meaningful discussions on food justice, climate justice, and how these movements are inextricably linked.

Attendees participated in conversations about the role of small-scale farmers in addressing food insecurity and the global food system’s sustainability challenges, highlighting how local solutions can have a powerful impact on a broader scale.

[ABOVE and LEFT] Rural Women from various different communities partaking in the day’s activities.

The day was a powerful reminder that the fight for climate justice cannot be separated from the struggle for food justice, especially for the women and communities who have long been at the forefront of sustainable agricultural practices. Through collective efforts and continued support,a more equitable and sustainable future is within reach.

[ABOVE] Western Cape based RWA representative shows the ‘Herbs that heal’ booklet to local women which is shared for free alongside other resources at the event and market.

Special shout-outs and heart of gratitude in particular to leaders in the communities of Calitzdorp, Zoar, Barrydale, Suurbraak Aquaponics, Zolani, Roberson, Mcgregor, Nkqubela, Rawsonville, De Doorns and our hosts in various villages of Genadendal. Also a special thank-you to women who travelled in from other provinces.

We appreciate the time it took you travelling in, many for several hours prior.

Big thank-you to sponsors & organisational/community collaborators:

• Africa Unite
• Heal the Hood Project
• Women on Farms Project
• Cape Town Youth
• Sister Love
• Recardo Carelsen – Senior Agricultural Advisor (Western Cape Department of Agriculture) Western Cape Government
• Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency
• Tessa and Group for activities with children
• Our MC & Project-Coordinators – Reinette Heunis & Denia Jansen
• HoneyBush Healing Arts Platform (child-led mural painting with children): SabaZahara HoneyBush
• #OneWomanOneHectare
• #landandwater4food
• #WorldFoodDay2024
• #organicfarming
• #westerncape
• #DieWerf
• #Genadendal

 

Clarence Ford speaks to Norah Mlongobozi seed saver and Elsie Sauls Seed saver.

[RIGHT Mawubuye Meeting 2023

The process of facilitating the building of a vibrant voice of the rural and urban impoverished and underdeveloped by TCOE was as a result of thought through processes and thorough contextual analysis and learning from other practises and from own experiences.

Core to this strategy was enabling the affected poor to realise their plight, champion and lead their struggles.

This approach also involves building from below, different sectors that includes, Farmworkers and Dwellers, women organisations, small scale farmers, small scale fishers, and the unemployed workers that culminated into a national formation called Inyanda National Land Movement in 2013 and Rural Women’s Assembly.

[LEFT] Coast to Coast 

These sectors being confronted by complex contextual challenges and therefore to facilitate this process demands multi-pronged interventions and organisation that is rooted to struggles of the grassroots.  It requires certain calibre of activists that have a certain level of commitment to the cause of our revolution and understanding.  It also requires the ability to analyse the root cause of the deepening crisis of socio-political and economic environment.

Therefore, it was not by accident that TCOE has to develop cadreship and leadership building programmes, building the conscience of these sectors with a special focus to women and youth, but without underestimating the challenges in mobilizing and organising youth because its fluidity and difficult to sustain them in the movement.

[ABOVE] Study school under the trees

Among other strategies employed to realise this objective were, organising popular education platforms, leadership and political schools, awareness raising programmes, speak-out sessions and establishment of study circles. A layer of leadership established that led the struggles and most visible at local level. Essentially the conscience building process was critical but it was equally important to build a movement that will act to the contextual challenges faced with and able to link the local and national with global economic and political issues.  To investigate and research issues affecting the target group for substance and evidence to back up our struggles was also core to this journey.

[ABOVE] Women farm in rows

The dilemma and the reality we were faced with was organising communities that were rooted into crisis of poverty and totally excluded in participating actively in the economy of the country. A community that has been grossly affected by history of land dispossession, legislative framework and policies that endorses oppression and exploitation. The failure of the Land and Agrarian Reform Programme to respond and address the land and agrarian question. The nature and the extent of the change faced by Inyanda and RWA demanded building alliances and partnerships for solidarity in action and mass action.

It also became critical that TCOE to integrate, support issues of food security and sovereignty and development of sustainable alternatives of food production and land use. Thus, the ideas of embarking on agroecology i.e. producing food ecologically, establishment of organic seedlings nurseries and seed-banks. This was also a strategy to combat the use of genetically modified seeds and providing environmentally agricultural method as opposed to dominant industrial agriculture that contributes to the crises of climate change and global warming as well has negative impact to environment. The recent instances of disasters/floods in Port St Johns and sea overflows in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape are the concrete examples of this phenomenon and the latter seeks to confirm the importance of the struggles for climate justice and development of appropriate alternatives.

[LEFT] Farmers during harvesting peppers- packaging before going to market 

The list is long of the issues faced the working class and the rural poor, the collapsing local government municipalities and its failure to deliver essential services and the ruling party and ensure democracy and equality. The democracy campaign and education used as a vehicle to respond to this crisis. Building, organising and mobilizing alternative movements and forums to be alternative voices and contest the space to promote and instil democracy within this institution. To deal with the legacy of apartheid regime and the capital system, the need to engage with struggles for policy transformation became an integral part of our approach and strategy.  Policies that were consolidating and an extension of oppression and exploitation of the working class.

It is essential to mention that there were moments of Uhuru, moments and victories that we need to celebrate and learn from them. TCOE mobilised thousands of men, women and youth and organised a National Land Conference parallel process with its alliances to discuss the Land and Agrarian Transformation issues and develop policy positions and shape the agenda to resolve the land and agrarian question in this country. For strategic reasons a delegation was sent to influence the debates of the Global Land Conference to influence and engage with the conference discussions. TCOE contributed a lot in the establishment of the Landless peoples Movement launched during the National Land Conference in Johannesburg.

As part of putting Land and Agrarian question top on the agenda organised a Tribunal to expose the inequalities that exist in this country with institution of high learning, different types of movements, civil society organisations and legal fraternity. The strategic government departments were invited and engaged on the subject matter to account and to say exactly what are their positions and response to these challenges.

In the latest discussions we were reviewing the work of building Inyanda, recognised that the current moment is different from anti -apartheid period and therefore our conception and prosecution of building a mass movement must be different. We have not achieved the anticipated growth and impact, only the basics. Within Inyanda, there are some affiliates which resembles signs of success and others not. In our recruitment and mobilisation strategy, we did not disaggregate membership of backyard gardens from livestock and large farmers.

Recognising challenges of building movements in the context of mass poverty and inequality accompanying by a challenging political environment (a rallying call), we change our approach in which we recognise a need to provide benefits. And, thus, agro-ecology becomes central in our organising strategy. Included in this will be visibility in public policy and advocacy on key issues such as access to land and water. Various sectors such as livestock, farm workers, etc. will continue to meet as sectors to reflect on their issues and these consolidated in a national platform in which solidarity actions are coordinated and sharing of lessons and perspectives takes place. The internal restructuring process will result in capable staff that will lead and drive the building of Inyanda National Land Movement.

The International Photo Exhibition commenced to expose the deepened poverty and Inequalities in South Africa was organised by TCOE. This included delegation of staff TCOE and movements’ delegates to go to various countries that include West and East Germany and present the case of South Africa using the photos that depict poverty as evidence. It is true that this process has not just strengthened relations between TCOE and the other parts of the world but raised its profile and footprint.

[ABOVE] National Strat Plan – 2023

The struggles against Austerity Budget, budget cuts on essential services cannot be undermined, working with a strategic partner like AIDC, Left Socialists Organisations, Individuals and the Labour Movements, at all levels (locally, provincially and nationally) These struggles had contributed massively in building leadership that can lead and give strategic direction. Lastly the least is long but the struggles for access to marine resources and fight against the extraction of commons and seismic blasts that resulted in court cases are also a measure stick of our successes and victories of with other formations with likeminded vision and mission.

The Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE), the Rural Women’s Assembly in South Africa together with the Mopani Farmers Association in Limpopo, are deeply disturbed by reports of serious land rights violations of smallholder producers in some areas in Limpopo. During a visit in April 2024, we met with affected smallholders who had either been evicted or were in the process of being evicted from their land in the Greater Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality.

[LEFT] Mohale farmers dispirited and discouraged in front of Mopani Farmers Association’s Bakkie and ready for interviews with Ngula ya Vutivi delegates from SABC Television

The affected landholders say that Chief Mlungisi Ntsanwisi has evicted them from land along the perennial Letaba River which provides uninterrupted access to water for the producers. Once smallholders are evicted, the land is allocated to white commercial farmers.

Some landholders say they were violently evicted with their crops and equipment destroyed. Many of the landholders have provided evidence of their legal rights to the land in the form of Permission to Occupy (PTO) certificates. In one case, a couple who have been farming on about 50 hectares of land along the Letaba River for the last twenty years, was threatened with eviction in March 2024. Yet, the family is in possession of a twenty year old document from the very same Chief granting the couple permission to farm the land.

[RIGHT] The tracks of the bulldozers after destroying the farm and its produce.

Chief Mlungisi Ntsanwisi has stated publicly that he has embarked on a large-scale agricultural project which will result in the development of black farmers, the local economy and jobs for locals. But he omits that this partnership with commercial farmers is at the expense of black landholders being, often violently, evicted and displaced. Moreover, the Chief has raised funding through loans and grants for the project under the false pretext of promoting black economic empowerment and farmer development. By evicting black landholders, the Chief’s agricultural venture will turn the landowners into labourers as has happened in other agribusiness ventures on communal land such as Nombanjana in Centane in the Eastern Cape.

The unilateral decisions the Chief takes about the land are contrary to various court judgments which show that Chiefs cannot implement decisions over land without the consent of the residents. The Xolobeni and Ingonyama judgments confirm this. These judgments have also clarified that traditional authorities are the custodians and administrators of the land, not the owners of the land.

During May 2024, members of the affected communities and landholders, wrote a letter to the Majeje Traditional Authority. The letter requested that the land the Chief has appropriated from landholders and residents be returned. The letter also explained that the evictions have undermined the farmer’s job creating initiatives and self-organised structures in the area. The Chief has not responded to the letter.

Since Chief Mlungisi Ntsanwisi did not respond to the letter, the community voted in favour of a resolution that he be removed as Chief – effectively disowning him.  The community is now looking to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) to assist with taking matters forward.

As land movements, we will not stand by quietly while the constitutional rights of smallholders to land and dignity are being violated. We call upon all members of Inyanda National Land Movement, Rural Women’s Assembly, the associations of local producers such as Mopani Farmers Association, Mahale Farmers Cluster and Davano to mobilise to stop the land grabs.  Silence will be a betrayal of the sacrifices of the countless rural people who died protecting their land. Land grabs mean that rural citizens are losing the 13 per cent of land they have been squeezed into since the promulgation of the 1913 Natives Land Act.

ISSUED BY THE TRUST FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION (TCOE), RURAL WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE MOPANI FARMERS ASSOCIATION