The picking season in the citrus industry is here, but residents of the Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape have been caught between surviving the Covid-19 and sustaining their economy.
The fear is real and the people of Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape are in a panic.
The Sundays River Valley Citrus Producer Forum, which represents 120 citrus companies, said the valley produced more than 26 million cartons of citrus, with 90% of its production being exported. Local activist Thamsanqa Mahala, from non-governmental organisation People’s Hope, which is part of the Eastern Cape Covid-19 People’s Coalition – a collective of civil society organisations – said people were finding new ways to enter the valley.
“As from May 8, at least 10 immigrants have been arrested in Kirkwood for contravening immigration laws,” Naidoo assured. He said the police had set up three roadblocks on a 24-hour basis. The collaborative insists that all newcomers to the valley must have permits so that they can be identified, their legitimacy checked and so that they can be screened.
In a hostel belonging to a company called Habata Citrus, outside Valancia in Addo, workers sleep on cement beds in overcrowded rooms with more than 15 people in each room.
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