Media Statement by Gerrit van Rensburg, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) recently completed its third visit to farms in the Western Cape in less than one year. Farmers are becoming irate with politicians who are seemingly targeting the Western Cape with visits which are not contributing to the advancement of agricultural issues. I share their sentiment.
Last year saw the release of a controversial report, Ripe with Abuse, by the international watchdog, Human Rights Watch. This report described widespread human rights transgressions on farms in the Western Cape. I do not know of a single case, since the release of the report, where a person has been prosecuted by the police or the Department of Labour for any of the alleged human rights abuses described in this report.
During its presentation to the National Portfolio Committee on Agriculture last year, Ripe with Abuse was criticised by all political parties represented on this committee. The report was described by South African politicians as an unscientific, unrepresentative and superficial description of the Western Cape agricultural sector.
I criticised the report as a generalisation of isolated extreme cases. I also requested the authors to provide me with detailed information on the alleged abuses in order for me and my department to act on it. No information was forthcoming, which only added to my scepticism.
In the meantime, farms in the Western Cape are being trampled by politicians on one visit after the other. The same report, which was discredited last year, has since been cited as the reason for inspecting the conditions on Western Cape farms:
The Western Cape agricultural sector has nothing to hide, and inspections relevant to the sector are welcome. Officials from the Departments of Agriculture and Labour should be spending time on farms doing their respective work. My question, however, remains: Why so many visits by politicians and why only in the Western Cape?
The Western Cape economy is anchored in agriculture. Primary agriculture contributes 3.5% to our provincial economy and creates 127 000 jobs. But this then stimulates 260 000 jobs in secondary activities. Many of these secondary activities rely on agricultural exports. Wine, a Western Cape product, is South Africa's third largest export after mining and car manufacturing.
A negative report, such as Ripe with Abuse, and political visits which create the perception that something is wrong, cause serious damage to our international image and makes it increasingly difficult to defend market share in a very competitive environment.
Export volumes and jobs are directly linked in the Western Cape economy. A 5% increase in export volumes will create 23 000 jobs in our economy. But the flipside is also true: A 5% decrease in exports will destroy 23 000 jobs.
With the above figures in mind, I am concerned about politicians who embark on witch hunt visits to the Western Cape agricultural sector. I also link recent statements by the Western Cape ANC Leader, Marius Fransman, to this phenomenon. He wants to reclaim the province for the ANC by focusing on farm workers. But farm workers are nobody's voting fodder. Farm workers are honourable and well-informed people who can think for themselves.
Why this sudden urge to spend time on Western Cape farms? Why do politicians deem it necessary to inspect farms in the Western Cape, while independent reports indicate the Western Cape is the leader in South Africa regarding socio-economic criteria?
Tarnishing the image of the agriculture sector is eroding investor confidence. This means no increase in production and no expansion of production facilities. This means no new jobs in the sector. Breaking down the agricultural sector for short sighted political gain is to open Pandora's Box. The negative consequences will be far reaching, starting with job losses and ending with food insecurity.
There are many other important issues in the agricultural sector which demands the attention of the national government:
Politicians wishing to become involved in the agricultural sector and its people should rather focus on issues which would support the industry, rather than disrupting it. Then we will be able to realise targets such as 5% export growth.
Politicians need to ask themselves whether their actions are constructive or destructive in the agricultural sector. The voter public deserve constructive politicians, and destructive tendencies should be punished at the voting booth.
Wouter Kriel
Tel: 021 483 4700
Cell: 079 694 3085
E-mail: wouterkriel@gmail.com