Kabinet 2019: Welkome verkleining, maar nou begin die regte werk | Cabinet 2019: Streamlining welcome, but the real work starts now

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AgriSA 30 Mei 2019

Kabinet 2019: Welkome verkleining, maar nou begin die regte werk

Agri SA verwelkom President Cyril Ramaphosa se verkleinde en meer vaartbelynde kabinet, maar wil sou gou moontlik met die nuwe amptenare beleidskwessies bespreek waarmee boere daagliks mee gekonfronteer word. Agri SA skakel deurlopend met Ministers en senior regeringslui en daarom is ’n bekwame en betroubare kabinet van uiterste belang.

“In die afgelope 25 jaar het ons gesien dat ’n goeie Minister die verskil maak tussen verstandige beleid aan die een kant, en wetgewing wat ekonomiese groei rem aan die ander kant,” sê Dan Kriek, Agri SA President. “Dit is onsekere tye – met hoë vlakke van misdaad en kommer oor eiendomsreg. Ons hoop dat die nuwe kabinetsministers hulself goed van hul taak sal kwyt, en wens hul sterkte toe, maar Agri SA sal uiteraard steeds die Ministers aanspreeklik hou vir hul taak.”

Agri SA verwelkom weereens Minister Thoko Didiza binne landbou en glo dat ons hegte bande van samewerking sal smee. Didiza word wyd gereken as ’n senior en ervare politikus met ervaring van die landbou en grondsake portefeuljes wat beleidsekerheid kan bring. Die samevoeging van die Departement van Landbou en die van Grondsake word ook verwelkom.

“Ons vertrou dat Minister Didiza langtermyn vennootskappe met landbouers sal nastreef, om die sektor te groei en volhoubare transformasie te bring,” sê Agri SA Adjunk-uitvoerende Direkteur, Christo van der Rheede. “In dieselfde asem hoop ons dat die nuwe Minister van Openbare Werke, Patricia de Lille balans na die voorgestelde Onteieningswetsontwerp sal bring, veral rakende die klousule wat onteiening op nulwaarde voorstel. Ons hoop Minister De Lille handhaaf haar party se teenkanting teen onteiening sonder vergoeding.”

Agri SA is ten gunste van die totstandkoming van ’n Agri-Ontwikkelingsfonds wat opkomende boere kan help. Ander sake wat na aan die hart van die boeregemeenskappe lê is droogtehulpverlening, ’n professionele polisiediens om misdaad effektief te bekamp en werkskepping op die platteland.

Agri SA sal voorts hande met die regering vat om die belang van elke boer, plaaswerker en landelike gemeenskappe te beskerm en investering wat tot groei in die sektor sal lei, te bevorder. Slegs deur beleidsekerheid kan die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor én ekonomie groei en werkskepping bevorder.

Navrae:

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA Adjunk-uitvoerende Direkteur

(S) 083 380 3492

Dan Kriek

Agri SA President

(S) 082 944 0566

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AgriSA 30 May 2019

Agri SA welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s smaller, more streamlined cabinet, but now we need engagement with the new officials about policy issues that farmers face on a daily basis. Agri SA liaises continuously with ministers and senior government officials, and for this reason, a competent and trustworthy cabinet is of utmost importance.

“During the past 25 years, we have seen that a good minister can make a difference between prudent policy, on the one hand, and legislation that hampers economic growth, on the other,” said Dan Kriek, Agri SA President. “We live in uncertain times – with high levels of crime and concerns about property rights. We hope the new cabinet ministers will perform their duties with diligence and wish them the best; however, Agri SA will continue to hold ministers accountable for their actions.”

Agri SA welcomes back Thoko Didiza to agriculture and believes that we will forge strong ties of cooperation. Didiza is widely considered as a senior politician with experience of agriculture and land affairs, who can facilitate policy certainty. The merging of the Department of Agriculture with that of Land Affairs is also welcomed.

“We hope Minister Didiza will strive for long-term partnerships with agriculture to facilitate growth and sustainable transformation within the sector,” said Christo van der Rheede, Agri SA Deputy Executive Director. “Similarly, we hope the new Minister of Public Works, Patricia de Lille, will bring balance to the proposed Expropriation Bill, especially the clause proposing expropriation at zero value. We also hope Minister de Lille will maintain her party’s opposition to expropriation without compensation.”

Agri SA is in favour of the establishment of an Agri Development Fund to assist emerging farmers. Other matters of keen interest to the farming community include drought relief, a professional police service to combat crime effectively and job creation in rural areas.

Agri SA will join hands with the government to protect the interests of every farmer, farm worker and rural communities to promote investment which, in turn, will give rise to growth in the sector. It is only through policy certainty that growth and job creation will be facilitated within the South African agricultural sector and the economy as a whole.

Enquiries:

Christo van der Rheede

Agri SA Deputy Executive Director

(C) 083 380 3492

Dan Kriek

Agri SA President

(C) 082 944 0566