Joemat-Pettersson must explain the abuse of food parcels to stoke farm violence

I have today written to the chair of the Agriculture portfolio committee, Lulu Johnson, to call on Minister Joemat-Pettersson to explain the alleged expenditure on food parcels being used to encourage violent unrest in the Western Cape.

According to the Mail & Guardian R10m was diverted from her department's food security budget to give food parcels to strike leaders, including Nosey Pieterse .

This strategy has served to fan the flames of unrest by encouraging workers to go out and protest, often violently. As one farm worker put it: "If you get a packet (parcel), then you have to go the meetings and toyi-toyi. Nothing for nothing."

The ANC clearly wants to divide and destabilise rural communities in a bid to win back the Western Cape at the next election. What makes matters worse is that it appears that public money is being abused to do so.

Minister Joemat-Pettersson must explain to Parliament how it is that food parcels paid for by her Department are being distributed by ANC-aligned structures.

I will be submitting parliamentary questions to ascertain:

• the grounds on which this apparently unilateral decision was made;
• whether there is provision for funds to be diverted from the food security budget in this manner; and
• which individuals and organisations were the recipients of the food parcels.

Minister Joemat-Pettersson's conduct during these strikes has been shameful. First, she willfully condoned violence when the strikes initially broke out last year. Then she made irresponsible promises that all charges of intimidation and public violence would be withdrawn.

Instead of attempting to resolve the grievances in our rural communities, she has done everything to exacerbate the problem. If it emerges that she used food parcels to incentivise violent unrest, she must face charges of incitement to violence.

Statement issued by Annette Steyn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, January 18 2013

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