DA does more for farm workers than corrupted Zuma ANC ever did

Marius Fransman's campaigning yesterday in De Doorns was a disgrace (see Cape Argus report).

The ANC under Jacob Zuma is corrupt and is focusing on enriching its own leaders. The result is that 1.4 million more people are unemployed than when Jacob Zuma took over as president in 2009. South Africa is sliding backwards because of the corruption in Zuma's ANC.

In contrast, the DA-run Western Cape has a clean government that is lowering unemployment. The Western Cape has the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa. We are working to create more jobs for everyone. This makes life better for everyone, including farm workers and other rural communities.

The province's share of agricultural employment in South Africa has increased from 20% in 2009 to 23% in 2013. This shows how we have created more jobs in agriculture than the other ANC-run provinces.

Marius Fransman and the ANC know they can't win the debate on creating more jobs, so they are talking nonsense to try and divide people against each other. It is a sign of the ANC's arrogance - they campaign on lies and make false promises.

The facts are that the DA-led Western Cape government does more for farm workers than the ANC does in any of the other provinces. It has also done a lot more for farm workers than the ANC ever did while they were in charge in the Western Cape.

Real agricultural failures in South Africa can be placed at the door of the national Department of Agriculture, led by Tina Joemat-Pettersson. Her department has failed to support agriculture in South Africa. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is the best run department of Agriculture in South Africa and we know this fact hurts Marius Fransman, hence his unfounded allegations. The truth hurts the ANC. 

The Western Cape is the only department with a Farm Worker Development Programme in South Africa, with a budget of R20 million for this financial year. 2 178 farm workers and families will benefit directly through training and support initiatives this year. Sixteen NGO's are being funded with R1.9 million this financial year, specifically for farm worker related services.

There is a still lot to do, but we have taken the Western Cape forward, and that is why our support is surging in the province.

People should reject the corruption in Zuma's ANC and vote DA to stop corruption and create more jobs. We must move forward together, and stop using this kind of divisive politics.

Statement issued by Ivan Meyer, DA Leader in the Western Cape, April 22 2014

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