The Minister once more promised to put in place a one-stop finance vehicle at a much lower interest rate. Should a true Land Bank be unable to provide it, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries must revise the single-digit interest loan facility which worked well years ago. The Land Bank must also account to the nation on the empowerment of emerging farmers.
The department's catastrophic record of failing to deal proactively and timeously with emergencies and disaster management, its poor control of animal and plant diseases, and the spread of foot-and-mouth disease has had an extreme effect on black emerging farmers.
In our oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal, poor black farmers are left alone to starve by this Minister, with no support system from the department to assist in alternative ways of cattle farming or alternative markets for them to sell their products to. One senior citizen literally cried in front of us because this Minister does not give them hope. We note the contribution made by stakeholders in capacity-building in terms of Grain SA. Since 2004, they have spent a minimum of R88 million in assisting black farmers. The Minister has done nothing in terms of assisting black emerging farmers.
The Marine Living Resources Act of 1998 states that all natural resources of the marine environment belong to all the people of South Africa. We must admit that a lot needs to be done in transforming the fisheries industry in South Africa in order for us to realise the attainment of the empowerment of South Africans. This sector continues to benefit the historically dominant industry of the old order. Fundamental transformation is needed. The quota formula has disadvantaged many. If properly managed, this sector can be an alternative food basket for our country.
Minister, it is our concern as a country that we are failing to produce black marine biologists. In building the next new generation of academics, an effort to build specialists from the historically marginalised will be critical.