8 June 2004
MADAME SPEAKER
HONOURABLE MINISTERS, COLEAGUES AND FRIENDS
I feel honoured to take part in this budget vote debate in the third democratically elected Parliament.
I want to start by supporting the budget Madame Speaker within the limited resources our task is to accelerate the pace of economic growth and job creation and to empower the disadvantaged communities in this country.
The President of the country Thabo Mbeki rightfully said, "We want to help construct a new world order that is more equitable and responsive to the needs of the poor of the world who constitutes the overwhelming majority, the core of the struggle against poverty and to encourage growth and development of the first economy and also address the challenge of the second economy."
I want to focus for SMME's in the Agricultural sector as well as Black economic empowerment in Agriculture.
Madame Speaker, A substantial number of South Africans who live in the rural areas are poor and lack basic social and productive infrastructure.
Here I wish to present a few fundamentals of religion as basics for economics. God is the creater, the giver, the devine provider, all material things on earth are Gods gifts for man, to be used by man so as to develop man physically and mentally and He produce the necessities and comforts of life contributing to the well being of human society.
In order for this to happen it is of paramount importance for man to have access to the natural resources to education, training and proper assistance that is necessary to help him put the resources into good use.
Any economic system that would render such access difficult or impossible cannot be said to be in accord with the fundamental God given rights and the purpose of creation.
Madame Speaker, the development of Agricultural rural infrastructure is very important. It is observed that lack of such infrastructure contributes significantly to the high level of poverty in rural areas. We need to correct this. Our integrated programmes of rural and urban renewal should start to look at how emerging farmer get access to irrigation water both from the big dams and rain water. How do we harvest rain water for small vegetable gardens and involve water affairs in this?
Fencing is one area. How does Public Works and Agriculture work together in this regard? We need to re-look at all our Agriculture training centres or colleges, short term courses for emerging farmers. We also need on farm training our Provinces should roll up their sleeves in this regard.
Madame Speaker, Umsobomvu Youth Fund should also be used in training our future youth emerging farmers. Young people should also start farming for them to do that, training is needed. Training in crop farming, live stock, game farming and also in farm management and marketing. Technical assistance in programme formulation and implementation is also important.
We have the female farmer of the year award to encourage women to go into real farming not just vegetable gardens for survival but we need to go a step further and start a youth farmer of the year award to encourage young people to become entrepreneurs.
Madame Speaker, we are accelerating the redistribution of land in this country but we must look at land reform as a strategic measure to remove the barriers to Agricultural development and to attack the problem of poverty together with our young people. I think the Sita's should also play a role in the development of Agriculture. The re-establishment of the Agriculture Credit Scheme is more than welcome. In fact, it is long overdue. Thank you Minister, this will provide capital for emerging farmers. The land bank can continue to work with commercial farmers. I think the issue of the Agriculture Credit Scheme should be speeded up. I do make sure that it is up and running not later than end of 2004.
We know that all Black Emerging Farmers have one big problem which is lack of financial assistance, loans as well as lack of collateral. The involvement of Khula and Ntsika, we welcome the Khula land reform empowerment facility that provides concessionary loans to retain finance intermediaries. How are they going to make their money? It is again our people who are going to suffer.
Maybe the Khula Guarantee Scheme should also cover emerging farmers. Not only Agro Industries without Agricultural produce there are no Agro Industries.
The President said I cote "The department of Agriculture will increase its support to agricultural activities in communal land area as well as other small scale agriculture drawing on resources within the Agricultural Credit Scheme. That is why training of this small farmers become more important may be expertise from Ntsika are also needed here on management of co-operatives cc's and small holdings."
We also welcome the Agriculture Black Economic Empowerment frame-work announced by the President in the House that will be published for public comments.
Madame Speaker, we are getting there even if there are limited resources. Sizimisele ukunqoba. Ngivumele ngithi kulabo abangafuni sithuthuke ukuthi, incwadi engcwele ku Nehemiya uthi uNehemiya e Nkosini "Ngivumele ukuba ngiye kwaJuda emzini wamathuna awobaba ukuba ngiwavuse. Noko ke babekhona abangakujabulelanga lokho o Thobiya no Sanibuladi bacasuka bathi ngekhe kodwa bathi abalandeli bakhe masisukume sakhe, masichinise izandla nathi asivumi ukuthuliswa masisikume sakhe izimpilo zethu.
NGIYABONGA