Recent farm strikes are ‘a warning to sector’

BICKERING and insults characterised yesterday’s debate on the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries budget vote.

Leading the charge was Freedom Front Plus leader, and Deputy Agriculture Minister Pieter Mulder, as he called Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Geordin Hill-Lewis a “dom Engelsman” — a stupid Englishman.

In retaliation, Mr Hill-Lewis questioned whether Mr Mulder “was ashamed of his minister.”

Mr Hill-Lewis was pointing out that it was customary for members of the government sit on one side of the House and members of the opposition opposite. But Mr Mulder was sitting with the opposition.

Once the DA objected to Mr Mulder’s remarks, Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald then told Mr Hill-Lewis to “shut up”. Mr Groenewald was ordered to leave the chamber after calling Mr Hill-Lewis a “dom Engelsman” again and refused to withdraw his remark.

Agriculture Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said the recent farm worker strikes centred on the Western Cape Town of De Doorns had been a wake-up call for the agricultural sector.

Ms Joemat-Pettersson urged Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to allow the Department of Agriculture to work with the Department of Labour on collective bargaining in the agricultural sector, rather than sectoral determination of wages.

But DA MP Annette Steyn accused Ms Joemat-Pettersson of fuelling and funding the strike by authorising her department to make available up to R14m in aid to workers through organisations.

Ms Steyn complained that SA’s support for farmers was minuscule compared to support other countries gave their farmers. A producer support estimate — a measure of government assistance to farmers — put SA at 3% compared to 12% for China and 24% for Russia.

Ms Joemat-Pettersson appealed to Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu for a debate on the encroachment of mining activity on prime agricultural land.