Joint Statement by Bennie van Zyl, General Manager of TLU SA, Ina Wilken, Consumer Specialist, Colin Engelbrecht, Chairman of Wildlife Ranching South Africa, Gerhard Papenfus, CEO of the Employers' Organisation Neasa, and Theo de Jager, Chairman of Saai.
Principles that were unacceptable under ANC management are not suddenly acceptable just because they are now under DA management. Farmers expect Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to correct the course where the ANC's destructive ideological stance derailed agriculture.
"South African voters made it clear during the election that the ANC's direction is unacceptable. There is great concern if the Government of National Unity (GNU) continues on the destructive path of the ANC's policy direction," says Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA, after the new agriculture minister delivered his budget speech on Tuesday, 16 July. "Steenhuisen must revitalise the agricultural environment with fresh economic principles – that is what South Africa needs."
His perception that the Agriculture Master Plan enjoys wide buy-in from the sector is uninformed and false. There was nothing inclusive about the drafting of the plan. Apart from those like family farmers, game farmers, agricultural employers, and consumers who were deliberately excluded, some participants like TLU SA were excluded at a late stage because the organisation questioned the implementation of transformation as cadre deployment.
None of these interest groups or organisations serve on any of Steenhuisen's Value Chain Round Tables, and even less on the AAMP Oversight Executive Committee. There is also no willingness to implement a plan where transformation is more important than profitability, sustainability, or efficiency.
We wanted fundamental change, not just a sugar-coated version of ANC ideology.
Farmers in South Africa have had to learn to survive the ANC over the past 30 years and get by without a functional department. The bloc of organisations excluded by the ANC, and which thus began writing an alternative, more market-friendly master plan, will continue to create resilient structures and opportunities. They will also pressure the department to develop a policy environment where small and medium farmers can farm profitably.
‘Boere wil grondige verandering hê, nie versuikerde weergawe van ANC-ideologie’
Gesamentlike verklaring deur Bennie van Zyl, hoofbestuurder van TLU SA, Ina Wilken, verbruikerspesialis, Colin Engelbrecht, voorsitter van Wildbedryf Suid-Afrika, Gerhard Papenfus, uitvoerende hoof van die werkgewersorganisasie Neasa, en Theo de Jager, voorsitter van Saai.
Beginsels wat onder ANC-bestuur onaanvaarbaar was, is nie skielik aanvaarbaar net omdat dit nou onder DA-bestuur is nie. Boere verwag van landbouminister John Steenhuisen om reg te maak waar die ANC met ‘n vernietigende ideologiese inslag landbou van die spoor af laat loop het.
"Suid-Afrikaanse kiesers het dit tydens die verkiesing duidelik gemaak dat die ANC se koers nie aanvaarbaar is nie. Daar is groot kommer indien die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid (RNE) gaan voortgaan op die vernietigende pad van die ANC se beleidsrigting," sê Bennie van Zyl.
hoofbestuurder van TLU SA, na die nuwe landbouminister op Dinsdag 16 Julie sy begrotingstoespraak gelewer het. "Steenhuisen moet die landbou-omgewing met ‘n vars bries rig met die regte ekonomiese beginsels – dit is wat Suid-Afrika nodig het."
Sy persepsie dat die Landbou Meesterplan wye inkoop in die sektor geniet, is oningelig en vals. Daar was niks inklusief aan die skryf van die plan nie, en buiten diegene soos familieboere, wildboere, landbouwerkgewers en verbruikers wat moedswillig uitgesluit was, is sommige deelnemers soos TLU SA op 'n laat stadium uitgeskuif omdat dié landbou-organisasie die implementering van transformasie as kaderontplooiïng bevraagteken het.
Geeneen van hierdie belangegroepe of organisasies dien op enige van Steenhuisen se Waardeketting Ronde Tafels nie, en nog minder op die AAMP Oorsig Uitvoerende Komitee. Daar is ook geen aptyt om 'n plan te implementeer waarin transformasie belangriker as winsgewendheid, volhoubaarheid of doeltreffendheid is nie.
Ons wou grondige verandering hê, en nie net 'n versuikerde weergawe van die ANC se ideologie nie.
Boere in Suid-Afrika moes oor 30 jaar leer om die ANC te oorleef en sonder 'n funksionele departement klaar te kom. Die blok van organisasies wat deur die ANC uitgesluit was, en derhalwe begin het om 'n alternatiewe, meer markvriendelike meesterplan te skryf, sal voortgaan om self staatsbestande strukture en geleenthede te skep, en druk op die departement te plaas om 'n beleidsomgewing te ontwikkel waarin kleiner en medium boere winsgewend kan boer.
