Photo: Yolanda Lemmer
It appears that politicians are finally beginning to recognise the importance of a “working” and “constructive” relationship with farmers, with Deputy President Paul Mashatile making an appearance at Nampo Park during the Nampo Harvest Day on the third day of the show.
Mashatile’s visit followed shortly after President Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the agricultural show earlier this week. Ramaphosa attended Nampo in his personal capacity as a farmer, and trusted sources said that he had spent around R4,6 million on farming equipment, including a Massey Ferguson tractor. Farmer’s Weekly reached out to the Presidency for confirmation, but the expenditure had not been verified at the time of publication.
Unlike Ramaphosa, however, Mashatile visited Nampo as a government official.
“We, as government, want to ensure a working relationship [between agricultural role players and government]. I want to describe it as a partnership in action. We must work together,” he said.
Discussions between Mashatile and prominent members of the agriculture sector happened behind closed doors, and only two media houses were privy to the information.
Dr Tobias Doyer, CEO of Grain SA, said that the conversation with Mashatile was generally positive.
“It’s clear that he is here in a political capacity rather than agricultural, but we had a constructive discussion. More details will be shared later,” he said.
The Nampo airfield is reportedly one of the most active smaller airfields in South Africa during this week, and Mashatile and his entourage, including MECs from provincial agriculture departments across the country, flew from Johannesburg this morning.
First visit to Nampo
This was Mashatile’s first visit to Nampo. “Nampo is a very big expo, and there are people from all over the world. We want to ensure that all farmers have access to these new technologies, and they need our support. Access to finance is also a big problem, and I met up with some of the banks today to discuss these matters.”
Mashatile is the third political leader to attend the 57th Nampo Harvest Day over the past week.
Dean Macpherson, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, also visited Nampo Park on the third day of the show, where he participated in a Nation in Conversation panel discussion about the implications of South Africa’s Expropriation Bill on agriculture.
John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, is set to address the media on Friday, and Freedom Front Plus MP Dr Corné Mulder is also expected.
