TLU SA het vanoggend ‘n voorlegging aan die Parlementêre Portefeuljekomitee oor Openbare Werke en Infrastruktuur gelewer as deel van die openbare deelname proses rakende die Onteieningswet.
Die komitee het tussen 10 Desember 2020 en 28 Februarie 2021 meer as 250 000 voorleggings in verband met die Onteieningswet ontvang. TLU SA het in die skriftelike voorlegging aangedui dat die organisasie ook ‘n mondelinge voorlegging wil aanbied. Hierdie gedeelte van die proses het vir omstredenheid gesorg toe die komitee eers aangedui het geen mondelinge voorleggings sal toegelaat word nie. Die besluit is later omgekeer en die voorleggings vind vandeesweek plaas. Verskeie organisasies, insluitend TLU SA moes egter ekstra stappe neem om wel ‘n spreekbeurt te ontvang.
“Ons het met die voorlegging weer klem gelê op die ekonomiese impak van die Onteieningswet – wat eintlik maar net ‘n manier is om privaat besitreg uit te roei,” sê mnr. Henry Geldenhuys, die president van TLU SA. “Die feit dat die komiteelede se vrae oor ons voorlegging glad nie met ekonomiese vooruitgang te doen gehad het nie, bewys net weer dat die besluitnemers in die regering geen idee het hoe ‘n ekonomie behoort te werk sodat dit volhoubaar bly nie.”
In die voorlegging het TLU SA dit duidelik gemaak dat moderne landbou ‘n besigheid is, en dat boer nie net ‘n beroep is nie, maar ‘n lewenswyse. Vir die meeste moderne landbouers – wat volhoubaar en suksesvol boer – handel landbou oor die vrye mark. Deur privaat besitreg deur onteiening sonder vergoeding aan bande te lê, word die vrye mark ook bedreig.
“Ons het weereens beklemtoon dat die land dringend buitelandse belegging benodig vir die ekonomie om te groei,” sê mnr. Geldenhuys. “Maar beleide soos transformasie, SEB en nou onteiening sonder vergoeding druis loodreg daarteen in. Watter regdenkende belegger sal in ‘n land belê waar sy of haar bates bedreig word?
“Die eintlike vraag wat die regering moet beantwoord is nie of ons, COSATU of die Parlement die wet gaan aanvaar nie, maar of die markte dit gaan aanvaar. Die land is op ‘n pad na onomkeerbare armoede en daarmee saam al die euwels wat dit bring.”
TLU SA het met die voorlegging ‘n beroep op die regering gedoen om aan Suid-Afrikaners te erken dat ‘n beleid van armoede vir almal dit baie makliker maak vir die kaders om hulle sakke vol te maak, ten koste van die land.
TLU SA asks government to be honest about the future of poverty
TLU SA this morning did a presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure as part of the public participation process of the Expropriation Bill.
The committee received more than 250 000 submissions regarding the Expropriation Bill between 10 December 2020 and 28 February 2021. TLU SA indicated that it wanted to make an oral presentation in this regard as well. This part of the process caused controversy after the committee stated that they would not accept any oral submissions. The decision was later overturned, and presentations are taking place this week. Various organisations, including TLU SA, however, had to take additional steps to receive a slot.
"We emphasised the economic impact of the Expropriation Bill with our presentation. It is basically an attack on private ownership," says Mr Henry Geldenhuys, die president of TLU SA. "The fact that the questions from the committee had nothing to do with economic prosperity just proves that the decision-makers in government have no clue how to run an economy sustainably."
In its presentation, TLU SA made it clear that modern agriculture is a business and that farming is not just a job but a calling. Most farmers – who farm successfully and sustainably – view agriculture as a free market economy. Restricting private ownership through expropriation without compensation puts the free market in danger.
"Once again, we pointed out that the country urgently needs foreign investment for the economy to grow," says Mr Geldenhuys. "But policies like transformation, BEE and now expropriation without compensation goes against economic growth. Which investor of sound mind will invest in a country where his or her assets are in danger?
"The question that should be answered is not if we, COSATU or the Parliament will accept this bill, but if the markets will accept it. The country is on its way to irreversible poverty and all the evils which accompany it."
With this presentation, TLU SA called on the government to admit to South Africa that its policy of poverty for all will make it much easier for cadres to stuff their own pockets at the country's expense.
