Locust Outbreak: DA calls for locust disaster declaration to speed up Treasury's release of funds to assist

18 March 2022

The DA has written to Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, asking that she requests her counterpart, Dr Nkosazana Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to declare a locust disaster in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, and Free State, which have been severely affected by the locust plague.

Once these areas have been declared disaster areas, Minister Didiza will be able to put together a budget and submit a requisition to the National Treasury for funding to combat the locust outbreak. This will prevent the plague from spreading to neighbouring provinces.

Commandos and farmers are experiencing numerous challenges, including the delivery of protective clothing, late supply of prescribed toxic chemicals, and late payments by the Department, to name a few. There have been reports that several commandos and farmers who assisted in the locust outbreak response have not been paid since November 2021. The DA is concerned that if personnel are not duly compensated, they might become demoralised and therefore unable to function optimally.

We will need a more focused approach if we are to fully combat the locust plague. We need to draw lessons from our Southern African Development Countries (SADC) region partners, who have been struggling to contain the plague in their respective countries.

It is now time for disaster to be declared in the affected areas, allowing the National Treasury to release funds to help with the fight.

The DA suggest that disaster be declared in the affected areas for three months, followed by a monthly review thereafter. During that three-month period, the Department must focus on the following:

Establish a stakeholder forum that includes the MECs of the four provinces: Free State, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape;

Make data available regarding the locust outbreak, potential damages and needs through various platforms to allow effective oversight by parliamentarians; and

Deal decisively with the locust at various stages – eggs, hoppers and adult grasshoppers that have a devastating impact on crops.

The DA reiterates its support for the sustained working relationship between the departments of agriculture and private sector stakeholders in combating this problem. Furthermore, it is important for the department to begin utilising satellite technologies to aid in the collection, analysis and forecasting of breeding and migration patterns.

The DA welcomes the Provincial Minister for Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer’s immediate intervention with the allocation of R5 million to help combat this problem. We call for increased budget through a temporary declaration of disaster for the affected areas before there is more damage to the crops.

Issued by Noko Masipa, DA Member on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform & Rural Development, 18 March 2022