President moet die SANW ontplooi om belangrike roetes te beveilig teen vragmotoraanvalle | President must deploy the SANDF to secure major routes amidst truck attacks

English to follow:

12 Julie 2023

Agri SA is diep bekommerd oor die gewelddadige aanvalle op vragmotors in Suid-Afrika die afgelope paar dae. Veral KwaZulu-Natal en Mpumalanga het onder dié geweldsmisdaad deurgeloop. Benewens die bedreiging wat die aanvalle vir menselewens inhou, is dit ’n direkte aanslag op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en ’n beduidende risiko vir voedselsekerheid.

Agri SA doen ‘n beroep daarom op president Cyril Ramaphosa, na wat verneem word die aanvalle ekonomiese sabotasie genoem het, om die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW) ter ondersteuning van die polisie te ontplooi om dié belangrike vervoerroetes te beskerm.

In sy benarde ekonomiese situasie kan Suid-Afrika nie bekostig dat noodsaaklike uitvoerinkomste deur onbeheerde kriminele aktiwiteite ontwrig word nie. . Daarom doen Agri SA ’n beroep op die president om die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag te ontplooi om belangrike vervoerroetes te beveilig totdat die gewelddadige aanvalle ophou. Misdaadintelligensie moet getaak word om ondersoek in te stel na wie agter die aanvalle sit en die skuldiges moet aangekla en dienooreenkomstig gestraf word.

Dringendheid is nodig om vragmotorbestuurders teen dade van geweld te beskerm, so ook die waardevolle vrag, wat landbouprodukte insluit. Roetes wat uitvoerhawens met hoofmarkte verbind, moet beskerm moet.

Toenemende misdadigheid op hoofweë skrik oorsese beleggers af. Afgesien van die koste weens die vernietiging van die vragmotors, veroorsaak die situasie bykomende finansiële druk op produsente wat reeds kontantvloeidruk ervaar en wat geforseer word om meer vir sekuriteit en hoër versekeringspremies te betaal. Dikwels moet produsente ook boetes betaal as gevolg van verskepingsvertragings.

Ingryping is veral belangrik vir die landbousektor. Statistieke van 2023 se eerste kwartaal het reeds getoon dat Suid-Afrika se landbou-uitvoer $2,9 miljard bereik het, terwyl landbou-invoer $1,7 miljard beloop het. Dit beteken ’n netto handelsoorskot van $1,2 miljard (9% hoër as verlede jaar in dieselfde tydperk), wat goud werd is vir die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie.

Boere het reeds te doen met ’n algemene logistieke krisis wat veroorsaak word deur ’n mislukte spoornetwerk, vervalle landelike paaie en oorvol hawens. Geweld op die land se snelweë voeg nog ’n vlak van onsekerheid by en belemmer ekonomiese groei ernstig.

Ná die onrus van 2021 bly Agri SA bedag op die uitwerking wat ontwrigting van vervoer op toegang tot voedsel regoor die land kan hê. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat die regering die ongehinderde beweging van goedere waarborg en enige pogings tot ekonomiese sabotasie teenwerk.

Ter wille van die noodsaaklike lewensbestaan in die landbousektor, voedselsekerheid in die land en die veiligheid van die land se vragmotorbestuurders, hoop Agri SA om spoedige optrede van die president in dié krisissituasie te sien.

Navrae:

Jaco Minnaar

President, Agri SA

Kulani Siweya

Agri SA-hoofekonoom

 ********************************

12 July 2023

Agri SA is deeply concerned about the violent criminal attacks on trucks in South Africa, particularly those in KwaZulu- Natal and Mpumalanga in recent days. In addition to the threat these activities pose to lives, they are a direct assault on the South African economy and a significant risk to food security.

Agri SA therefore calls on President Ramaphosa, who has reportedly called the attacks economic sabotage, to deploy the South African National Defence Force in support of the police to protect major transportation routes.

In its dire economic situation, South Africa simply cannot afford to surrender vital export revenue to uncontrolled criminal activity. That is why Agri SA is calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the South African National Defence Force, to secure major transportation routes until the violent attacks have ceased. Crime Intelligence must be tasked to investigate who is behind these attacks and the culprits must be charged and brought to book.

Urgency is necessary to protect our truck drivers from acts of violence, but also to safeguard the valuable cargo they transport, which includes agricultural goods. Among the routes protected must be those which connect export harbours to main markets.

The rampant criminality on our highways deters overseas investment. Apart from the costs caused incurred due to the destruction of the trucks, the situation also creates additional financial burdens on already cash-strapped producers who are forced to pay for more security and higher insurance premiums. Often producers also must pay penalties as a result of shipping delays.

Intervention is particularly important for the agricultural sector. First-quarter data for 2023 shows that South Africa’s agricultural exports reached $2.9 billion while agricultural imports amounted to $1.7 billion. This net trade surplus of $1.2 billion (9% up from last year during the same period) is vital for the South African economy.

Farmers are already dealing with a general logistics crisis caused by a failing rail network, decaying rural roads and congested ports. Violence on our county’s highways adds another level of insecurity and seriously hampering growth in our economy.

Coming after the unrest of 2021, Agri SA remains mindful of the impact that disruption to transportation can have on access to food across the country. It is therefore essential that government guarantees the unhindered movement of goods and counters any attempts at economic sabotage.

For the sake of vital livelihoods in the agricultural sector, food security across the country, and the safety of the country’s truck drivers, we hope to see immediate action from the President on this critical situation.

Media enquiries:

Jaco Minnaar.

President, Agri SA

Kulani Siweya

Chief Economist