Huis Voorsitter, Ncera is 'n openbare maatskappy in staatsbesit wat ten doel het om landbouondersteunigsdienste in sy breedste sin aan die kleinboere van Ncera en omliggende gebiede te verskaf. Sedert 1998 het die staat reeds sowat R40 miljoen in Ncera ingepomp.
Die Departement van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye, wat die eienaars van daardie entiteit is, beie duidelik getoon dat hy sy eie plase nie behoorlik kan bestuur nie. Dit blyk uit die volgende. Daar was minimale landboubedrywighede op die 10 bemagtigingsplase waaruit Ncera bestaan. Na 'n decade in die bedryf, is daar nog geen noemenswaardige vordering gemaak met die hervestiging van voormalige plaaswerkers op 'n 11de plaas nie. Daar was nog nooit 'n behoorlike ontwikkelingsplan of werkbare omkeerstrategie, soos wat deur die Nasionale Tesourie vereis word, ingedien nie.
Daar is toegelaat dat groot getalle plakkers, sommige van so ver as Limpopo, ongehinderd en sonder wetlike gevolge op die plase nesskop. Dit laat die vraag ontstaan hoe die departement die land se kleinboere wil bemagtig as hy nie eens daarin kon slaag om effektiewe opleiding en betuursbegeleiding aan die kleinboere van Ncera te gee nie.
Die DA steun nietemin die verslag dat Ncera ontbind en aan die Lanbounavorsingsraad oorgedra word. Hopelik sal ordentlike en effektiewe bemagtiging in die vorm van ontwikkeling en opleiding met hierdie raad se ondersteuning en insette geskied. Maar ek is bevrees daar het so pas 'n verslag verskyn wat toon dat die Landbounavorsingsraad in elk geval ondergefinansier word. Ek het hierdie verskriklike kommer in my hart dat Ncera onderaan die navorsingsraad se prioriteitslys gaan beland. Baie dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Ms Z JONGBLOED: House Chairperson, Ncera is a public company owned by the state that is aimed at providing agricultural support services in the broadest sense to the small-scale farmers of Ncera and surrounding areas. Since 1998 the state has pumped approximately R40 million into Ncera.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which owns that entity, has very clearly demonstrated that it is unable to manage its own farms properly. This is apparent from the following. There have been minimal agricultural activities on the 10 empowerment farms comprising Ncera. After a decade in the industry, no noteworthy progress has been made with the resettlement of former farm workers on an 11th farm. A proper development plan or workable turnaround strategy, as required by the National Treasury, has never been submitted.
Large numbers of squatters, some from as far away as Limpopo, have been allowed, without hindrance and without legal consequences, to roost on these farms. This raises the question as how the department wants to empower the country's small-scale farmers since it has not even been able to provide effective training and management support to the small-scale farmers of Ncera.
However, the DA supports the report recommending that Ncera be dissolved and transferred to the Agricultural Research Council. It is to be hoped that decent and effective empowerment in the form of development and training will happen with the support and input of this council. But I am afraid that a report has just appeared that shows that the Agricultural Research Council is in any case underfunded. I have this terrible concern in my heart that Ncera is going to land up at the bottom of the research council's priority list. Thank you very much. [Applause.]]