Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University Capacity building for farm workers on Solms-Delta Wine Estate: A social development perspective By Frances Ruddock Supervisor: Professor Sulina Green December 2012 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DECLARATION By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety of in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. December 2012 Copyright © 2012 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ABSTRACT Wine farms in the Western Cape represent one of the pillars of the region‟s economy. The social problems that are prevalent among farm workers and their families have evolved over centuries along with the wine industry; the unique set of social, economic, and political conditions affecting rural dwellers in the Western Cape have created a set of challenges impeding a productive future. The interventions at Solms-Delta Wine Estate have empowered the farm community and thus provide a template for social reform. Capacity development initiatives have been central to the farm‟s management plan. The employment of a fulltime social worker allowed resource gathering to implement social reforms on the farm. The present study investigated the evolution of an approach that encompasses the social development perspective of social work theory. This study is an example of the methods used to bring about stronger community development capacity. The goal of the study was to gain an understanding of the nature of capacity-building initiatives on the wine farm under review from a social development perspective. A review of the historical roots of farm worker subjugation was undertaken to uncover the social dynamic of farm worker community development. Secondly, the study has outlined the political, economic, and legal institutional parameters for rural development. A third strand of the narrative describes the nature of capacity-building initiatives undertaken over the preceding six years, and their impact on the social development of the target community. Finally, the study explored the impact of local capacity development via a semi-structured questionnaire and subsequent interviews with the twenty-one participants. The results of the research outlined in this study provide a number of templates for social work interventions in rural communities on wine farms in the Western Cape. Given the centrality of the wine farm industry in the Western Cape, the success of social welfare initiatives at Solms-Delta delineates road maps for other community-based programmes that can be launched from the lessons of this study. The locality development model, with its emphasis on community input in problem solving provides a framework for countering the unique set of challenges created from the inception of colonialism up to the end of Apartheid social engineering, . The empowering environment developed at Solms-Delta offers insight into rolling back historical ills and entitlement issues that bedevil social work practice. Successful community participation requires research into specific community dynamics and the resources to empower one of South Africa‟s most impoverished social strata. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Wynplase in die Wes-Kaap vorm een van die pilare van die streek se ekonomie. Die maatskaplike probleme wat onder plaaswerkers en hul gesinne voorkom, het oor die eeue heen saam met die wynbedryf ontwikkel. Dit behels die unieke kombinasie van sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke omstandighede met betrekking tot die landelike bewoners van die Wes-Kaap, wat „n uitdaging stel en 'n produktiewe toekoms belemmer. Die intervensies op die Solms-Delta wynlandgoed bemagtig die gemeenskap op die plaas en bied dus 'n voorbeeld vir sosiale hervorming. Kapasiteitsontwikkelingsinisiatiewe is sentraal tot die bestuursplan van die plase. Die aanstelling van 'n voltydse maatskaplike werker was „n belangrike addisionele hulpbron om sosiale hervorming op die plaas te bewerkstellig. Die huidige studie ondersoek die evolusie van 'n benadering wat die sosiale ontwikkelingsperspektief van maatskaplike-werkteorie betrek. Hierdie studie is 'n voorbeeld van die metodes wat gebruik kan word om 'n sterker kapasiteit vir gemeenskapsontwikkeling te ontwikkel. Die doel van die studie was om 'n begrip vanuit 'n maatskaplike ontwikkelingsperspektief- oogpunt te verkry van die aard van kapasiteitsbou-inisiatiewe op die wynplaas onder oorsig. Om die sosiale dinamika van die plaaswerkergemeenskap se ontwikkeling aan die lig te bring, het die studie 'n oorsig van die historiese herkoms van die plaaswerkers .onderneem. Tweedens, het die studie „n oorsig onderneem van die politieke, ekonomiese en wetlike institusionele parameters vir landelike ontwikkeling. 'n Derde deel van die navorsing beskrywe die aard van kapasiteitsbou-inisiatiewe oor die afgelope ses jaar, en hul impak op die maatskaplike ontwikkeling van die teikengemeenskap. Ten slotte, het die studie die impak van die ontwikkeling van plaaslike kapasiteit deur middel van 'n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys en 'n daaropvolgende onderhoud met die 21 deelnemers ondersoek. Die resultate van die navorsing soos in hierdie verslag uiteengesit bied 'n aantal voorbeelde vir maatskaplike werk-ingrypings in landelike gemeenskappe op plase in die Wes-Kaap. Gegewe die sentraliteit van die wynbedryf in die Wes-Kaap, lewer die sukses van die maatskaplike welsynsinisiatiewe op Solms-Delta „n voorbeeld vir ander gemeenskaps- gebaseerde programme wat uit die lesse van hierdie studie kan baat. Die lokaliteit- ontwikkelingsmodel, met sy klem op insette vanuit die gemeenskap om probleme op te los, bied 'n raamwerk vir die stryd teen die unieke stel uitdagings wat ontstaan het met die begin van kolonialisme en tot aan die einde van apartheid bly voortduur het. Die bemagtigings- iv Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za omgewing wat op Solms-Delta ontwikkel het, bied insig in die rol van so ‟n proses vir die bekamping van die historiese euwels en onregte wat die praktyk van maatskaplike werk so belemmer. Suksesvolle gemeenskapsdeelname vereis navorsing na die dinamika binne spesifieke gemeenskappe, asook al die nodige hulpbronne, om een van Suid-Afrika se mees verarmde sosiale strata te bemagtig. v Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the following persons: * First and foremost I would like to thank Solms-Delta Wine Estate, Prof Mark Solms and Richard Astor for the privilege of conducting this research on the farm. Thank you for funding my research and believing in me! * Secondly, thank you to the twenty-one participants; your time, honestly and enthusiasm was very much appreciated. You are all exceptional people with lots to offer society. It was an honour to interview each and every one of you. * Then, a huge thank you to my supervisor, Professor Sulina Green, for your professional guidance, encouragement and prompt responses. * To my parents; my dad, William Semmelink, for all the late nights of reading through my work and the valuable suggestions and contributions you made and to my mom, Balie Semmelink, for her continuous support and encouragement. * To Mrs Visser from the Stellenbosch University Library for all her assistance with finding the articles I needed and assisting me with referencing when I was unsure of what to do. * To Sharon Hartzenberg, for outstanding technical assistance; you have been amazing. * Professor John van Zyl, thank you for doing all the translations; you are a gem. * Thank you, Mrs Honey, for the professional and meticulous editing. * To all my friends who have supported and encouraged me and to those of you who had my children to play so that I could slip in an extra few hours of work, thank you; Claire Horn, a special thanks to you and your family in that department! * Last, but not least, I would like to thank my husband Geddan for staying married to me and supporting me through some very stressful times and for all the extra hours spent alone with our children, which allowed me to finish my thesis. Geddan, Robert and Daniel, I love you, my boys! I am very grateful to all of you; I know I have been extremely demanding at times. I could never have done this without you. THANK YOU for putting up with me and helping me see this through to the end. vi Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration .................................................................................................................................. i Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... ii Opsomming ............................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... vi Table of contents .....................................................................................................................