Voorsitter, eerstens wil ek die Minister asook die Adjunkminister, dr Pieter Mulder, gelukwens. Ek groet ook die Huis, alle LP's, die gehoor, dames en here, toehoorders en luisteraars.
Landbou en grondhervorming vind uitdrukking in die Vryheidsmanifes wat in 1955 in Kliptown opgestel is. Gegee deur die uitdagings wat minderbevoorregte swart gemeenskappe in die gesig staar, word ons daaraan herinner dat die mense in die land se rykdom sal deel en dat die grond verdeel sal word onder di wat dit bewerk.
Laat ons vasstel hoe ver ons gekom het met die mandaat wat die kontrak van die mense daargestel het en of dit deur die begrotingsimplementeringsplan uitgevoer is. Die sleutel tot transformasie is om nuwe voorraad vir opkomende boere en kleinbestaansboere te voorsien. Ons moet waarde toevoeg deur gesonde diere, goeie stoetdiere en kuddediere van goeie gehalte te verseker met behulp van bystandsprogramme deur beide die regering en privaatvennote.
As die landelike gemeenskappe ook veeartsenyopleiding geniet, sal ons ook die verandering van vinnige ekonomiese groei toon ten opsigte van gesonde kuddediere wat melk gee en slagbeeste wat net vir daardie doel geboer sal word.
Onderstepoort, die opleidingsentrum, bied praktiese navorsingsopleiding aan swart boere wat hulle nodig het aangesien hulle ook in die taal wat hulle verstaan, opgelei kan word. Verder is dit belangrik dat ons voorligtingsbeamptes kry om hierdie swart boere by te staan. Ons sal ook moet gaan kyk na 'n Uitgebreide Openbare Werke-program, UOWP, vir landbou, veral vir ons kleinboere in die landelike gemeenskappe. [Applous.]
Kommersile boere moet betrek word. Kordinering deur die drie sfere van regering moet die leiding neem, want net deur saam te werk kan ons meer doen. Teikengroepe soos veral vrouens kan nie genoeg beklemtoon word nie. Die Vroueboer van die Jaar-toekenning is slegs een moniteringstelsel waarmee gemeet kan word hoeveel bemagtiging in hierdie sektor gedoen is. Hierdie studiegroep doen 'n beroep dat grond in die nuwe boekjaar vir opkomende swart boere beskikbaar gestel sal word. Dit sal daartoe bydra dat armoede hok geslaan kan word deur weidingsveld vir vee en grootskaalse landerye vir voedselgewasse soos koring, mielies, boontjies en aartappels, ensovoorts, te voorsien. Daar moet ook 'n toename in die begroting wees indien ons vrouens wil insluit, en ek praat veral van jong vroue.
Plaaslike regering, in samewerking met die Departement van Openbare Werke, sal moet ingryp met die beskikbaarstelling van tuinbougrond aan huishoudings, want dit is 'n leemte wat op plaaslike vlak bestaan.
Infrastruktuur in die vorm van paaie, vervoerbare water, elektrisiteit en besproeiingstelsels sal ook bespoedig moet word, veral in landelike gebiede. Ons opkomende boere het ook pakhuise nodig, sowel as saad en trekkers. Opkomende kleinboere het implemente asook bedrading vir hul kampe nodig.
Dink net hoeveel armoede ons in landelike gebiede regoor die land sal kan uitwis indien die begroting direk skakel met waar die grootste behoefte is. Indien die begroting direk met die behoefte skakel, sal ons heelwat armoede kan uitwis.
Met die vordering wat ten opsigte van nasionale welvaart gemaak is, waar die staat, privaatkapitaal, koperatiewe en ander sosiale ingrypings mekaar op 'n gentegreerde manier aanvul, kan armoede bekamp word deur onderverdeling en ekonomiese groei te koester. Terwyl navorsing gedoen word, is dit nodig dat loodsprojekte daargestel word wat vaardighede en sakegeleenthede in die landboubedryf sal bevorder, veral vir kleinskaalse boere.
Die landelike situasie in Suid-Afrika word steeds deur verdeeldheid gekenmerk. Daar is wel ontwikkelde gebiede waar die meerderheid van die mense, spesifiek vrouens in landelike gemeenskappe, aanhoudend met die vernedering van armoede moet saamleef. Die begroting moet toeneem om hierdie leemtes aan te pak, want hierdie vroue bly agter en die gaping word al hoe groter.
Ten opsigte van koperasies moet die prys van kunsmis wat aan kleinboere verskaf word hersien word en lidmaatskap moet aan nuwe toetreders uitgereik word. Hierdie is 'n ernstige beroep om samewerking om die kleinboere op te bou en te bemagtig.
Ons doen ook 'n beroep op die Minister om in die nuwe boekjaar toegang tot die markte vir beide die landboubedryf en boerdery met lewendehawe aan te pak. Die Noord-Kaap, so ook verafgele plekke in die boendoes van ons land, sal dit hoog op prys stel as daar 'n landboukollege in die lewe geroep word.
Baie is gedoen betreffende die omvorming van die departemente van landbou en grondhervorming. Nie alle gebiede in hierdie sektor het egter die agterstand baasgeraak nie - die 4% landbougrond in 15 jaar is 'n druppel in die emmer. Deur gentegreerde samewerking is dit nodig om munisipaliteite wat onderpresteer se kapasiteit te bou om te verseker dat hulle geskikte en doeltreffende dienste lewer waar dit nodig is.
Die beroep is om die onderontwikkelde landelike gebiede te ontwikkel deur 'n groter begroting. Die regerende party, die ANC, is gestig as deel van die vooruitstrewende strydmag dwarsoor die wreld in die geveg teen kolonialisme, rassisme, armoede, onderontwikkeling en geslagsongelykheid. [Applous.] Die globale finansile krisis vereis 'n globale reaksie, maar dit moet omskep word in 'n geleentheid vir 'n meer demokratiese stelsel van globale ekonomiese en finansile regering om verbeterde bystand aan kleinskaalse boere te verleen. Toegang tot langtermynfinansiering is ook baie belangrik.
Die Landbank moet sy rol vervul en, as dit nodig is, van sy beleide hersien sodat die balans tussen kommersile en nuwe opkomende swart boere op gelyke skaal kan kom. Die sukses van samewerking met en eienaarskap aan landelike gemeenskappe, asook die deelname van vroue sodat hulle ook betrokke is by belangrike besluite aangaande boerdery en sodoende bemagtig word, sal afhang van hoe die begroting hierdie aspekte inwerk, want dit kan slegs deur finansile bydrae geskied. Dit sal nie sommer net deur handewerk geskied nie; daar moet finansile hulp verleen word. Versnelde landelike ontwikkeling in landbou en boerdery beteken versnelde groei in die ekonomie vir 'n beter lewe vir almal. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mrs M N PHALISO: Chairperson, I would like to congratulate the Minister, as well as the Deputy Minister, Dr Pieter Mulder. I would also like to greet everyone in the House, all the MPs, those in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen and the rest of the audience.
Agriculture and land reform find expression in the Freedom Charter, conceived in Kliptown in 1955. Informed by the challenges that were faced by disadvantaged black communities, we are reminded that the people shall share in the wealth of the land and the land shall be shared by those who work it.
Let us assess the progress we have made with regard to the mandate derived from the people's contract and whether that mandate has been carried out in the budget implementation plan. The key to transformation lies in the provision of new supplies to emerging and subsistence farmers. We must add value by ensuring healthy animals, good breeding stock and herds of good quality through both governmental and private partnership support programmes. If rural communities are also provided with veterinarian training, we will also show signs of the change brought about by rapid economic growth in terms of getting milk from healthy herds, and of having slaughter-stock bred specifically for that purpose.
The practical research training that is provided at the Onderstepoort training facility is necessary for black farmers, as they are able to receive training in a language they understand. Furthermore, it is vital that we provide agricultural extension officers to assist black farmers. We will also have to consider an Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, for agriculture, especially for our peasant farmers in rural communities. [Applause.]
Commercial farmers must become involved. Co-ordination between the three spheres of government must take priority, because it is only by working together that we can do more. Target groups - especially women - cannot be emphasised enough. The Woman Farmer of the Year award is but one monitoring system through which we can measure the extent of empowerment in this sector. This study group is making an appeal to set aside land for emerging black farmers in the new financial year. This will contribute to alleviating poverty by having pasturage for cattle and large scale farm- land for food crops like corn, maize, beans, potatoes, etc. There should also be an increase in the budget, especially if we want to accommodate women - and here I am referring to young women in particular.
Local government, in conjunction with the Department of Public Works, will have to intervene by making land available for domestic horticulture, because this is a void that exists at local level.
Infrastructure provision in the form of roads, transportable water, electricity and irrigation systems - especially in rural areas - will also have to be fast-tracked. Our emerging farmers also need warehouses as well as seed and tractors. Emerging peasant farmers need farming implements as well as fencing for their fields.
Just consider how much poverty could have been eliminated in rural areas across the country if the budget were linked directly to the areas of greatest need. If the budget were linked directly to need, we would have been able to eliminate a fair amount of poverty.
With the gains realised in terms of national welfare, where the state, private capital, co-operatives and other social interventions are complementing one another in an integrated manner, poverty could be arrested by fostering subdivision and economic growth. While research is conducted, it is necessary to create pilot projects that will promote skills development and business oppportunities in the agricultural sector, especially for the small-scale farmers.
The South African rural situation is still characterised by division. There are, however, prosperous areas where the majority of the people, especially rural women, continuously have to live with the humiliation of abject poverty. The budget has to be increased in order to address these voids, because these women are being left behind while the gap increases apace.
With regard to co-operatives, the prices of artificial fertilisers supplied to peasant farmers should be revised and membership should be extended to new entrants. This is an earnest plea for co-operation in building and empowering peasant farmers.
We also appeal to the Minister to address the issue of access to the markets for both agriculture and farming with livestock in the new financial year. The Northern Cape, as well as far-flung places in the bundu of our country, would appreciate it very much if an agricultural college could be established.
Much has been done regarding the transformation of the departments of agriculture and land reform. However, not all areas in this sector have managed to make up their leeway - 4% agricultural land in 15 years is a drop in the ocean. It is necessary, through integrated co-operation, to build capacity in those municipalities that are underperforming, so as to ensure that they deliver suitable and effective services where required.
The appeal is for an increased budget to develop underdeveloped rural areas. The ruling party, the ANC, was founded as part of the progressive political force globally to fight colonialism, racism, poverty, underdevelopment and gender inequality. [Applause.] The global financial crisis requires a global response, but it must be transformed into an opportunity for a more democratic system of global economic and financial governance in order to lend improved support to peasant farmers. Access to long-term financing is also very important.
The Land Bank must play its part and, if necessary, review some of its policies, so that equilibrium can be reached between commercial and emerging black farmers. Successful co-operation with and ownership to rural communities - including the empowerment of women through their inclusion in important decisions concerning farming - will depend on the manner in which the budget integrates these aspects, because this can only be realised through financial contributions. It will not come about through mere manual labour; financial aid must be forthcoming. Accelerated rural development in agriculture and farming means accelerated growth in the economy for a better life for all. I thank you. [Applause.]]