Speaking at the first joint annual general meeting of the Western Cape Red Meat Producers’ Organisation and the National Wool Growers’ Association (NWGA) at Nampo Cape in Bredasdorp last week, Meyer said farmers should demand practical answers from candidates on water, roads, infrastructure, municipal finances, and corruption.
He said one of the first questions farmers should ask is how a prospective municipal government intends to improve water security for agriculture.
Candidates should also be able to explain their plans for rural roads, as well as how municipalities will finance infrastructure development and, importantly, its maintenance.
Farmers should also ask how candidates plan to stabilise municipal finances and tackle corruption and the abuse of tender processes.
“The most important thing people can do for agriculture is to have a well-run, functional municipality,” Meyer said.
He also urged farmers to ask how future municipal leaders intend working with farmers and local communities, and what they will do to strengthen rural safety and community cooperation.
Support for young and emerging farmers should also be on the agenda, while candidates should be pressed to set measurable targets for what they intend to achieve over the next five years.
Meyer called for agriculture to have a stronger, more formalised relationship with municipalities. He said municipalities should have a clearly identified contact person for agricultural matters and should work with organised agriculture and commodity organisations rather than engaging farmers on an ad hoc basis.
Coalition stability also matters
The minister also raised concerns about unstable coalition governments, warning that political instability at municipal level could undermine service delivery and infrastructure maintenance.
He referred to proposals for an electoral threshold for representation in municipal councils, saying South Africa had considered a 1% threshold and contrasting this with higher thresholds in some other countries.
Meyer’s concern is that highly fragmented councils could allow very small parties to become kingmakers. He illustrated this with a scenario in which two larger parties each held six seats, while a party with only one seat could effectively determine who became mayor.
He argued that for farmers, the consequences go far beyond party politics. Municipal instability could affect rural road maintenance, water security, infrastructure investment, municipal finances, and other services on which agricultural businesses depend.
The real test is therefore not simply what political parties promise before an election but whether they can provide a stable government and implement those promises.
Meyer’s message to farmers was to judge municipal candidates not only on their election promises but also on whether they have credible plans to provide the infrastructure, financial stability, and services agriculture needs to thrive.
