President Ramaphosa must intervene and save EC farmers from crippling drought

2 October 2019

Farmers, suffering due to the crippling drought affecting the Eastern Cape, have been deserted by the provincial government and need the President of South Africa to step in and save the local agricultural sector and rural economy.

Yesterday, 1 October 2019, I wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa to deliver a desperate plea for intervention, before it is too late for farmers, both commercial and emerging, in the province. (letter attached)

Last week I wrote to Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and asked him to submit a plan regarding steps to be taken to have the province declared a disaster area by Monday, 30 September 2019. The Premier chose to ignore my request. (letter attached)

I turned to the Premier for help due to the Eastern Cape Department of Rural and Development Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) not taking the impact of the “worst drought in a century” seriously. The organised farming sector’s numerous meetings with, and pleas to, the department in order to have the province declared a drought disaster area, have fallen on deaf ears.

In order to take quick action, or action that is outside of the ordinary, or to apply for relief funding from national treasury, it is necessary to have a provincial state of disaster declared and maintained as long as necessary. This is a requirement of the Disaster Management Act of 2002.

If assistance is not forthcoming the farming sector and rural economy will collapse.

The extended drought has already led to significant job losses in the agricultural sector and as a result the economies of many of our rural towns are starting to feel the ensuing effects. It is also not just commercial farmers farming on large scale that are affected. Emerging farmers have also been crippled by the severity of the drought and in many cases have had no choice but to sell most of their livestock in order to prevent total ruin.

The DA implores President Ramaphosa to acknowledge the devastating effect of this inaction and to order Premier Mabuyane and his government to declare a disaster before it is too late for Eastern Cape agriculture and the rural economy.

Only a DA government can ensure the ongoing success of the agricultural sector and prevent rising unemployment and economic collapse during prolonged periods of crisis.

Issued by Retief Odendaal, DA EC Shadow MEC of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, 2 October 2019