According to preliminary assessments, the damage caused by protesters in Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape this week amounts to R170m.

This is according to Hannes de Waal, CEO of the Sundays River Citrus Company (SRCC).

Striking farmworkers and other protesters caused havoc in the town and on farms in the district when their request for a minimum wage of R30 an hour was denied. One farmworker died and infrastructure was damaged.

“Farm implements worth R70m have been torched and damaged; R50m of this damage occurred on one farm. There is also R100m in loss as a result of crops that cannot be harvested due to the violence,” says De Waal.

WATCH: Izak du Plessis talks to citrus industry expert Hannes de Waal about the unrest, negotiations and why the minimum wages cannot be increased.

De Waal and other interested parties spent Thursday in Port Elizabeth, seeking legal advice, while the workers met to decide on the road ahead.

At the centre of the violence is the demand by the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) for a minimum wage of R30 per hour.

This demand is not realistic, says De Waal. The minimum wage by law is R23.19, but he says most workers receive more than this, plus their income is supplemented by extras paid for by the farmers.

“We look after our workers well, but the citrus industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and there is no way that we can pay more than what is currently being paid.”

According to De Waal, the farmers and the SRCC are willing to keep on negotiating and do as much as possible to make the lives of workers easier.

Service delivery complaints

Apart from their wage demands, the protesters also complained about service delivery in the town.

DA caucus leader in Sundays River Valley Karen Smith says it is no secret that service delivery by the municipality is not up to standard.

“The new council took over after the municipal elections in November and, as the council, we are working hard to meet the expectations of residents. It is not always easy, but just in the past month, we have bought two new water tankers and a sewage truck, something that is necessary in our town,” says Smith.

WATCH: Izak du Plessis talks to DA caucus leader in Sundays River Valley Karen Smith about the unrest, negotiations and why the minimum wages cannot be increased.

She admits that there is still much work to be done.

“But the violence caught us all off guard. We are a peace-loving community that prefers to negotiate rather than resort to violence.”

Negotiations are ongoing between workers and farmers, says De Waal.

Sanco could not be reached for comment.