The minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza, is spreading blatant lies, says TLU SA.
In her feedback on the allocation of help from the COVID-19 Agricultural Disaster Fund, Didiza declared that the objective of the R1,2 billion grant is to counter the effect of the coronavirus and to ensure the sustainable production of food after the pandemic. The department approved around 15 000 applications out of 55 000, at a value of R500 million, to smallholder and communal farmers. According to StatsSA, the contribution of this group of farmers to the national food basket is only 1,9%.
“Minister Didiza’s declaration that the financial support must ensure food production is thus a blatant lie,” says Mr Louis Meintjes, the president of TLU SA. “The minister should be honest and admit that the department is merely supporting subsistence farmers who are predominantly ANC supporters. If the goal is to ensure food production for the country, her department should assist commercial farmers - who are effectively responsible for South Africa’s food security - as well."
The minister should also clearly indicate the planned outcomes of this expensive voter-buying project.
“She makes a big show of the money available for the project,” says Mr Meintjes. “One would then expect additional food to be available as a result of the grant, yet the minister is silent in this respect.”
AFRIKAANS
Die Minister van Landbou, Grondhervorming en Landelike Sake, me. Thoko Didiza versprei blatante leuens, sê TLU SA.
Didiza het in haar terugvoer oor die toekenning van hulp uit die COVID-19 Landbou Rampfonds, verklaar dat die doelwit van die R1,2 miljard-inspuiting is om die effek van die koronavirus teen te werk en die volhoubare voedselproduksie na die pandemie te verseker. Uit die meer as 55 000 aansoeke om ondersteuning het die departement reeds ongeveer 15 000 aansoeke ter waarde van R500 miljoen aan klein- en bestaansboere goedgekeur. Volgens StatsSA is die bydrae wat hierdie groep boere tot die nasionale kosmandjie maak maar 1,9% van die totaal.
“Minister Didiza se verklaring dat die finansiële ondersteuning voedselproduksie moet verseker, is dus ‘n blatante leuen,” sê mnr. Louis Meintjes, die president van TLU SA. “Die minister moet eerder eerlik wees en erken dat die departement bestaansboere help wat hoofsaaklik ANC-ondersteuners is. As die doelwit werklik is om voedselproduksie vir die land te verseker, moet kommersiële boere – wat vir Suid-Afrika se voedselsekuriteit verantwoordelik is – ook gehelp word.”
Die minister moet ook baie duidelik uitspel wat die verwagte uitkomste van dié duur stemkoper-projek is.
“Sy maak ‘n groot gewag van die bedrag wat vir die projek beskikbaar is,” sê mnr. Meintjes. “Mens sou verwag dat daar dan ook ekstra kos beskikbaar sal wees as gevolg van die ondersteuningspakket, maar daaroor is die minister stil.”
