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President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Twitter/GCIS

SONA: Sorry, Uncle Cyril, but it’s a no from agriculture

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Food For Mzansi

SONA: Sorry, Uncle Cyril, but it’s a no from agriculture

by Duncan Masiwa
12th February 2021
in News
Reading Time: 9 mins read
A A
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Twitter/GCIS

When it comes to corruption, South Africans are angry, frustrated and despondent. Photo: Supplied/GCIS

While most opposition parties have slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s fifth State of the Nation address, the agricultural sector was left uninspired and rather disheartened.

In an appeal to social compacting, Ramaphosa said, “Just as a harsh fire gives new life to our country’s fynbos, this crisis is an opportunity to build a different, better South Africa.”

Agricultural role-players tell Food For Mzansi, though, this year’s SONA was but a good show in an election year, paying lip service to the private sector’s role in the economy.

Sinelizwi Fakade, an Eastern Cape farmer. Photo: Supplied
Sinelizwi Fakade, an Eastern Cape farmer. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Apart from the moving fynbos analogy, Ramaphosa’s speech was filled with over-exaggerated comments on his strategy for the year ahead.

It did not have enough detail to ensure confidence, said Eastern Cape farmer Sinelizwi Fakade.

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“As a producer, I appreciate his word, but as a practical farmer the ‘how’ part becomes important. We have seen so many initiatives and policy directions that’s yet to come to fruition,” he said.

Silent on ‘state’s incapacity’

Francois Wilken, president of Free State Agriculture, said the SONA made it clear that government is “stuck in the ideological mud”.

In fact, farmers and other agriculturists who create jobs, are even more concerned after hearing the president speak.

Free State Agriculture President Francois Wilken. Photo: Conrad Bornman
Free State Agriculture president Francois Wilken. Photo: Conrad Bornman

“Policies needed to support food security and property rights have been ignored. Instead, political ideology hold sway,” said Wilken.

The state was weakened by looting and corruption, Wilken said, and the same failed policies that brought South Africa to its knees are set to continue.

“Clearly, we can expect this trajectory to continue. This means that the agricultural community will have to increase its leadership role in rural areas of South Africa.”

ALSO READ: What agri actually expected from SONA

Wilken pointed out that government’s “hard-headed approach” toward undermining property rights through the new expropriation bill has no end in sight. This, he said, will not create a conducive environment for economic growth.

“There was nothing new mentioned for agriculture. Everything the president said was old news.”

Free State Agriculture expected state support for failed BBBEE policies to continue.

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According to the agricultural organisation these policies enrich a few elites and do little for the creation of jobs and new sustainable businesses. In the meantime it costs the country billions of Rands.

Furthermore, the continued use of policies to extend government’s role in society, has failed in the past and pose no solution to the current challenges, Wilken warned.

“You can’t build new cities if you were not able to maintain and fix current infrastructure such as roads,” he said.

Furthermore, he said the president presented government expenditure in 2020 as an achievement, not realising that the only way to alleviate the plight of the jobless is to allow for the creation of sustainable jobs.

‘Give black farmers title deeds’

Wilken wondered how the president could boast about the transfer of 5 500 farms to 300 000 beneficiaries when the state still owned the land.

“These beneficiaries do not own anything. The state owns their land,” said Wilken. “If property ownership is a government imperative, why do black farmers not receive title deeds?”

Meanwhile Fakade, an Eastern Cape farmer and rural development specialist, is also disappointed that the SONA fell short on detail about the commercialisation of black farmers.

ALSO READ: Black farmers ‘betrayed by government’

SONA: Award-winning pig farmer Ivan Cloete lost his Western Cape farm after his lease agreement with government was ended. Photo: Supplied/ Food For Mzansi
Award-winning pig farmer Ivan Cloete lost his Western Cape farm after his lease agreement with government was ended. Photo: Supplied/ Food For Mzansi

Ramaphosa said support for black small-scale farmers was being stepped up, with a large beverage producer committing to support this initiative.

However, Fakade said, “As farmers on the ground, and practical producers, we would have appreciated more detail on how he intends to commercialise black and small-holder farmers.”

Fakade expected clarity on whether the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development would support public and private partnerships.

Also, detail was needed on farmer development programmes, specifically to give young farmers access to mainstream agriculture.

According to Fakade many farmers will now, instead, await policy direction from minister Thoko Didiza’s budget speech in the week ahead.

Black farmer development

SONA: AFASA Chairperson, Neo Masithela.
Afasa chairperson, Neo Masithela. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Meanwhile Neo Masithela, the AFASA chairperson, also had some concerns.

“We did not hear the president speak on support for research and development for farmers, especially black farmers.

This, Masithela said, is important “because once the development of black farmers are fully attained, it will be easier for us to not only focus on the primary sector, but also build the entire agricultural value chain.”

However, Masithela was happy that the SONA addressed market linkages and the support of the state therein. AFASA is hopeful that Didiza would further expand on how it will be done.

‘Do we live in the same country?’

Henry Geldenhuys, deputy president of Transvaal Agricultural Union of South Africa (TAU SA). Photo: TAU SA
Henry Geldenhuys, president of TLU SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

TAU SA president Henry Geldenhuys said Ramaphosa did exactly what was to be expected from a president in an election year.

He made dynamic announcements and focused on what the state did, and would continue to do for its citizens.

“But, does he live in the same South Africa and does he live our reality?” asked Geldenhuys.

“The true test for any company’s success – and of course, that of a government – lies in the results. Are South Africans better off than a year, ten years, 20 years ago?”

Furthermore, in his SONA, Ramaphosa outlined the road for economy recovery in South Africa through a series of master plans in the auto, chicken, clothing and sugar sectors. This, the president said, would “rejuvenate and grow key industries.”

SONA: The sugar master plan seeks to take urgent action to protect thousands of jobs, rural livelihoods and businesses. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
The sugar master plan seeks to take urgent action to protect thousands of jobs, rural livelihoods and businesses. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

“All social partners who participated in the development of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan as part of our social compact have agreed to work together to reduce our reliance on imports by 20% over the next five years,” said Ramaphosa. 

What the country needed was a policy which would attract financial investment, said Geldenhuys.

“In reality, entrepreneurs are forced to take their capital out of South Africa to make a sustainable living. The SONA, like the budget speech, is simply a play on words to sooth South Africans,” he said.

Little about agriculture

DA shadow minister of rural development and land reform, Annette Steyn.
DA shadow minister of rural development and land reform, Annette Steyn. Photo: Supplied

Meanwhile, DA shadow minister for agriculture, Annette Steyn, also believed too little was said about agriculture.

“It was very disappointing. There was nothing new mentioned for agriculture. Everything the president said was old news.”

Instead, the SONA could have explored joint ventures, the Land Bank crisis, title deeds for black farmers and rural safety.

“Farmers are looking for security. They want to know that they can still farm in South Africa. Farm attacks are still rife,” says Steyn.

She added that agricultural plans without budget was a huge problem. “We are in February already and I don’t know how farmers will be supported this year because nothing has happened outside of just talking about it.”

WATCH: Ramaphosa delivers 5th SONA

Tags: agricultureAnette SteynFrancious WilkenFree State AgricultureHenry GeldenhuysPres. Cyril RamaphosaPresident Cyril RamaphosaSinelizwi FakadaSONA 2021State of the Nation AdressTAU SA
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Duncan Masiwa

Duncan Masiwa

DUNCAN MASIWA is a budding journalist with a passion for telling great agricultural stories. He hails from Macassar, close to Somerset West in the Western Cape, where he first started writing for the Helderberg Gazette community newspaper. Besides making a name for himself as a columnist, he is also an avid poet who has shared stages with artists like Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekam, Jesse Jordan and Motlatsi Mofatse.

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With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

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