Hon Minister, as you just said that there is not enough funds available. But then, your government is bailing out state-owned entities, SOEs, such as Eskom, SA Express and the SA Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, from the contingency reserve fund, which is there available for unforeseen circumstances. Now, these SOEs are in the position that they are because of mismanagement. Why are we not spending this on the farmers and making sure that we support them because that is not their own making?
Your government claims that we need these SOEs to remain afloat. Let me tell you something, Minister, we also need our farmers. Why has no money been allocated to farmers from the contingency reserve? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
Thank you, hon member. And I'm sure this government is your government too. You may not be in the ruling party, but once a government is elected is a government for all of us.
And I don't think, seated here, the comparisons that are being made are actually justifiable. And it is not true to say government is not looking at supporting the farmers, because it does. [Interjections.] Well I appreciate it not enough and I said so myself, and government will never have enough when there are fewer tax payers than the needs of the country. Those are the balances we have to make. And I'm sure CoGTA, when it approaches the Ministry of Finance on these matters of drought; surely it will look at whatever resources that are there to support.
The R30 million intervention was to immediately respond while all other processes are undertaken. It doesn't mean that's the end and be all. And I think it's important for us to really appreciate what is being done; and I would again repeat, farmers of this country are producers that we all need. And in all their permutations none of us own them, but collectively, these are the producers of this of this country who ensures our household for security, who ensures our national food security, who ensures that they can contribute to the economy through trade.
So, as the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, that is why I took my time to go to Namaqualand, that is why I've been to various areas of our country where farmers are
to engage with them, that is why I've been to farmers meetings to explore what it is that we need to do to deal with the matters that affect farmers, small, big and medium; because all of those, they may be smaller at one hectare, they produce for their families so that they cannot be hungry.
And I think the way in which we need to look at how we approach that constituency; we shouldn't make it sectarian as though it's a them and us who care about them fully. Thank you. [Applause.]
Afrikaans: