When the Americans landed on the lunar surface for the first time, there was a saying: One giant step forward! And the Rural Development Ministry is such a giant step forward. I thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Madam Speaker, hon President, hon Deputy President, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Members of Parliament, dumelang bomme le borre! [Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.] [Interjections.]
Yesterday, the hon President warned us that the global economic downturn should not cause us to change our plans to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor. Instead, it should urge us to implement our plans with speed and determination.
It is in this spirit of the address of the hon President that we will speed up economic growth and transform the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.
Here we will encourage small business development, the development of co- operatives, the creation of "green" jobs, investment in appropriate public infrastructure, as well as agricultural broad-based black economic empowerment and the national youth service for agriculture.
In the same breath, we will work together with our people in the rural areas to ensure a comprehensive rural development strategy that is linked to land and agrarian reform and food security, as already outlined by the Minister.
This is also reiterated in the manifesto and the Polokwane resolutions, which appeal for food security to ensure that not a single person goes hungry. We will also reduce our dependence on food imports, and develop access to food at affordable prices, especially as it relates to the poor. We further need to expand access to food production schemes in rural and periurban areas and advance land and food production in schools.
Our co-operation with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform will begin to address a massive programme to build economic and social infrastructure, to ensure the realisation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme. To this end, we will unfold and massify a programme of fencing in rural and farming areas which will create a sizeable number of jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme. We will also, in light of co-operatives, hand out the massification of the Nguni cattle project, which to the surprise of many members will give co-operatives ten pregnant heifers and one bull, to assist the bull and to give the bull a head start in the production of Nguni cattle. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
The vision of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is about enabling rural people to take control of their destiny, thereby dealing effectively with rural poverty through the optimal use and management of natural resources, thereby creating and maintaining an intricate balance between human civilisations and Mother Nature.
Madam Chairperson, more than two thirds of Sub-Saharan Africa's population are employed in agriculture, yet the sector contributes only about a third of the region's gross domestic product.
However, China's overall political and macroeconomic packages enabled their agricultural policy package to realise its objectives in the economy. In this regard, amongst others, the Chinese developed a unique rural pathway, namely "village industrialisation", which is the setting up of township enterprises to provide jobs for the rural population. This is exactly what we seek to do in Riemvasmaak through our Comprehensive Rural Development Programme.
On 19 June we will be commemorating the Native Land Act of 1913. This year, on the very 19 June, we will be descending on Riemvasmaak to launch the Riemvasmaak Comprehensive Rural Development Programme. We will be taking the hon Derek Hanekom down memory lane.
Efforts to bring the people of Riemvasmaak back to their land got momentum in 1993. The decision to give 74 000 hectares back to the people was taken in February 1994, and this became the first land restitution project in the new South Africa, under the able leadership of President Nelson Mandela. Most of the original residents were back on the land at the end of 1995. In 2002 the people of Riemvasmaak received title deeds to the plots they live on, a milestone for those who were landless for so long. However, economic development has evaded this poorest of the poor community for more than 15 years.
Through our project, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the IDC will partner with Citrogold on 80 hectares, on behalf of the community, and R200 million of investment will be utilised for this purpose. Citrogold's once-off investment of R200 million will immediately include the creation of 280 permanent jobs. [Applause.] Mr President, you can subtract that from the number of jobs you wish to create. The figure is further expected to double during the peak season.
On that same day, the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform will hand over about 46 000 hectares as the last phase of the settlement of the claim. Together, we can do more! [Applause.] We will use agriculture, forestry and fisheries as a catalyst to chip away at the vestiges of rural poverty. Step by step we will create jobs in rural areas through agricultural intervention.
Madam Chairperson, energy has always been perceived as widely abundant and forever available for use. Human societies over the years have failed to pay attention to the sustainability and importance thereof. It is evident that an ignorant approach to energy sources will not just stall human development, but indeed can cost us dearly as nations of the world.
Significant improvement in research and development of technologies over the years has enabled us to access energy from different sources to power human civilisations. We need to creatively exploit energy sources that are mutually beneficial to the environment and human life.
The recent economic concerns raised by our President, such as the depletion of resources, have called for the development of urgent plans to develop our own renewable energy needs. In our case, we will follow through the proposed industrial strategy for biofuel production, which was approved by Cabinet in 2007. Through bio-fuel and our other strategies for renewable energy, we envisage creating more than 500 jobs in the forthcoming financial year. This would be 500 sustainable, permanent jobs in the industry.
South Africa cannot ignore the global drive towards green fuels. Our approach will have to take into consideration the effects of climate change and also look into creating green jobs and the application of scientific technology in the production processes.
In doing so, the options proposed should create a balance between economic development and national food security.
Deur saam te werk met ander departemente soos Mynwese asook Wetenskap en Tegnologie, sal ons in staat wees om die gebruik van hernubare hulpbronne van energie maksimaal te kan benut. Ons moet konstant aandag gee aan en bewus wees van energiebesparing en die gebruik van alternatiewe vorme van energie as dit kom by landbouproduksie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[By working together with other departments like Mining and Science and Technology, we will be in a position to utilise renewable energy resources maximally. We must constantly pay attention to and be aware of saving energy and utilising alternative forms of energy when it comes to agricultural production.]
Through the forestry sector, the effects of desertification will be receiving our attention; amongst other things, we will continue to intensify the drive to plant more trees to protect the environment. In addition to the implementation of the National Industrial Policy Framework, particularly in the forestry, pulp, paper and furniture sectors, we will establish ways of increasing our forestry resources for trade purposes.
Pressure on our marine environment is mounting. Careful planning and good policy decisions necessitate our taking a fresh look at fishing quotas as they have been handed out on the West Coast, particularly as these pertain to poor rural communities. [Applause.] Our approach will be to continue supporting food security, with a specific bias to giving fishing quotas and reassessing fishing quotas to the rural poor. [Applause.]
The developmental state must have the technical capacity to translate broad goals and objectives into practical programmes and projects and ensure their implementation, which requires effective training, appropriate orientation and leadership skills. Our structures and systems will effectively facilitate the implementation of programmes that have been decided upon. I think the President's speech called on us to have this kind of practical implementation of our programmes that he has spelt out.
An alliance between the state, civil society and business will be a fundamental necessity, where the state takes the role of leader in effecting a developmental agenda. Our strong government, through your leadership, hon President, is a prerequisite for the developmental state we are building, with the capacity to be responsive to changing conditions and the ability to lead and manage our economic relations.
South Africans have it in their power, as a people, to continually change the environment in which we operate in the interests of a better future. However, we will have to display remarkable ingenuity if we wish to succeed as a nation. But, as demonstrated by the vision in your speech, we have broken the back of poverty.
Die rottang is alreeds geknak. [The cane has already been broken.]
Silufezile ugqatso! [We have succeeded!] [Applause.]