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Kwanalu

The voice of agriculture . Die stem van landbou . Izwe lezokulima

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The Role and Services Rendered by Kwanalu

The current transformation in organized agriculture has forced Kwanalu for its own good to take an in depth look at the justification for its existence or otherwise. The change that agriculture has undergone since 1994, as well as the negative impact it had on financing organized agriculture, now forces organized agriculture to review the “need to have” in stead of the “nice to have”. One of the realities is the financing of the General Affairs-arm, which is the total responsibility of its members. It cannot be expected from agricultural businesses and industries to finance the general business core, which does not form part of their operational field.

In view of the above we ask and answer some questions on the role/purpose of Kwanalu:

1. Why is a structure like Kwanalu necessary and what is the value added by such a structure?
1.1 Kwanalu serves as a catalyst to initiate an essential change within agriculture in order to secure a sustainable future for agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal.

1.2 Kwanalu negotiates a positive policy framework on behalf of agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal, by pro-actively ensuring that laws, regulations, ordinances, attitudes and assumptions subjacent to this framework are optimally agricultural friendly.

1.3 Kwanalu ensures that the attitude within agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal is positive and focused on the future and that agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal secures its own future by positive commitment in all walks of life.

1.4 Kwanalu ensures that the umbrella image of agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal is optimally positive and that the most important contribution made by agriculture to the economy in KwaZulu-Natal, be drawn to the attention of all the inhabitants of KwaZulu-Natal in the most explicit and impacting ways.

1.5 Kwanalu offers to agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal a focus point through which the collective interest of agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal is optimally enhanced.

2. What difference does Kwanalu make?
Kwanalu offers a sector specific focus point to optimally enhance the collective interest of agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal.

3. Because agriculture has to liaise and deal with other interest groups, what does it offer to interest groups that have a direct impact on agriculture?

3.1 We offer a one-stop liaison service between the agricultural community in KwaZulu-Natal and all the other interest groups.

3.2 We ensure that agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal understands and is sensitive to the viewpoints, needs and fears of all interest groups.

3.3 We ensure that the agricultural community stays posted on local and international events, which are of vital importance to ensure that agriculture optimally contributes to the South-African economy.

3.4 We ensure that farmers in KwaZulu-Natal conduct their farming operations from a holistic perspective and act sensitively towards environmental and community matters concerning other interest groups.

4. With all the above taken into consideration, Kwanalu’s importance can be stipulated as follows:

4.1 We ensure that agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal is a well-organized sector with whom other sectors and role players in the South African economy can comfortably liaise and co-operate.

4.2 We create opportunities for agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal by contributing in order for these opportunities to be developed or develop alternative opportunities where it might become necessary.

4.3 To ensure an economically feasible rural environment in which all rural inhabitants are optimally empowered to fulfill their full potential.

4.4 To facilitate a sustainable, non-racial, non-sexist commercial agricultural sector in KwaZulu-Natal, which progressively represents the population compilation in KwaZulu-Natal.

5. In order to achieve the above, Kwanalu offers the following:

5.1 Organizational/administrative services and ad hoc requests:

  • All office administration
  • Secretarial services

5.2 Human Resources

The office submitted inputs on the following items during the past year and inputs on some of those are still being submitted on a continual basis:

5.2.1 Labour Affairs – Kwanalu’s Code of Conduct, Act on Basic Conditions of Employment, Minimum wage (sectoral determination), Unemployment Insurance and Compensation Commissioner, Norad courses presented

5.2.2 Liaison has been accomplished with: Department of Labour, Trade Unions, Human Resource consultants, Human Rights commission

5.2.3 Involvement in Agricultural Training – Agricultural schools, Colleges, Universities, PAETA

5.3 Agricultural-economic affairs and agricultural financing

5.3.1 Liaison in respect of agricultural conditions, interest rates, packages, disaster assistance, risk products, etc. with:

  • Commercial banks
  • Land Bank
  • Agricultural businesses
  • Provincial Department of Agriculture
  • Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs
    Municipalities
  • DWAF
  • Department of Economic Development and Tourism
  • Department of Transport
  • Department of Safety and Security

5.3.2 Drought aid and the facilitation of surveys

5.3.3 Agri BEE

5.3.4 Statistics SA

5.3.5 Taxes
Property tax (national/provincial, local level and relevant legislation)
VAT

5.4 Safety and security
At least once a month liaison on rural protection takes place with the SAPS and SANDF from the top to ground level structures with reference to:

Structures (Priority committees)

  • Stock Theft
  • Farm attacks
  • Theft of products and equipment
  • Cable theft
  • Landless People Movement (LPM)
  • General crime such as smuggling, etc.

5.5 Land Affairs

5.5.1 Land Reform
The settlement of new farms is of high priority to KwaZulu-Natal. Kwanalu is involved in the total process from the identification of land and potential accessions and all actions regarding settlement and after care.

  • Management of restitution claims.
  • Management of Labour Tenant claims.
  • ESTA legislation and effect on agriculture.

5.5.2 Legislative processes

  • Standpoints and policies of organized agriculture are evaluated and managed in respect of the legislation.
  • Giving of view points in Policy committees and negotiations for agriculture in the process.

5.5.3 Implementation process

  • Handling of ESTA and land reform initiatives.
  • Active participation with all role players.
  • District Access Committees representation.
  • Subdivisions of Land
  • Development of Land & Land Use

5.5.4 Liaison with –

  • Department of Land Affairs (KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Department of Agriculture (KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Department of Traditional & Local Government (KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • Structures for small farmers such as NAFU

5.6 Political Development

5.6.1 Government services

  • Education (schools, universities and colleges)
  • Health (clinic services, hospitals)
  • Infrastructure (roads, telephone, electricity, post office)
  • Road traffic affairs (licenses, vehicles, weigh bridges)

5.6.2 Liaison with

  • Provincial authorities
  • Municipal authorities

5.7 Water Affairs

5.7.1 Representation in –
Working for Water

5.7.2 Liaison with Irrigation Boards –

  • Water legislation & regulations
  • Tariff negotiations

5.7.3 Handling of general enquiries

5.8 Emerging agriculture

5.8.1 Liaison with –

  • NAFU
  • Provincial authorities
  • Department of Land Affairs (KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Regional Land Claims Commissioner
  • Department of Agriculture (KwaZulu-Natal)
  • Consultants

5.8.2 Respond to legislation –

  • Restitution legislation
  • LRAD

5.9 Communication and image building actions
Kwanalu regularly communicates as follows:

  • Regular contact with radio and television: East Coast Radio, SABC, SAFM, SA TV
  • Radio Ukhozi Programme
  • e-Mail to members
  • Media liaison
  • Letters of Information/circulars to affiliations
  • Annual Congress
  • Visits to Farmers’ Associations, etc.
  • Liaison with external institutions (Agricultural Conference, Provincial Legislator, Standing Committees, Government Departments, District Boards and Municipalities).

5.10 Energy

5.10.1 Electricity
Liaison with Eskom Head Office via Agri SA regarding the planning of transmission lines and price structures.

5.10.2 Fuel
Diesel rebate

5.11 Tourism in Agriculture
Liaise with Provincial Legislator on –

Establishment of tourism in agriculture

5.12 Environmental Affairs
Liaison with Department of Environmental Affairs, Planning and Agriculture regarding –

  • Spatial Development
  • Nature Conservation
  • Intruder plants and Vermin Control
  • Bush and Veld fire legislation
  • Conservation of Resources

6. Conclusion

Agriculture cannot go ahead without an organized body to negotiate on behalf of all producers on all levels of national as well as local government, to convey its interests and to settle the negativity prevailing around agriculture. Membership fees should be regarded as short term insurance where people from agriculture negotiate and organize for agriculture. Without such a body agriculture cannot make any inputs on governmental level and it will have to accept everything as decided for agriculture by other unconcerned parties, while we do not have somebody to put across our side of the story. Unity and stability lie in numbers, member numbers, and it is the duty of every member to ensure that his neighbour is a member and contributes to this unity in agriculture. Support your local farmers’ associations and participate. Once agriculture has lost its place around government’s table, it will not be easy to get it back and if so, it will be on somebody else’s conditions, not ours.