A press release by the DA stated that the severe drought facing SA had the potential to impact negatively on food security and political stability.
The NCOP called on government to support the agricultural community through drought relief and by ensuring that policy and legislative proposals do not cause additional stress in a sector already vulnerable and facing an exodus of skills and expertise that have taken many generations to create.
It was widely reported in the media that Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane said that, despite certain parts in SA being declared disaster areas due to the drought, farmers would not receive drought relief from government. Instead, they had to learn to adapt to changing circumstances.
The R356 million drought relief aid would be aimed at 6,5 million families in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West who either had no water or were experiencing severe shortages.
