TLU SA wil nie President se neef help ryk maak nie
TLU SA is nie bereid om betrokke te raak by enige projek om geld te kanaliseer na familie van president Jacob Zuma nie.
Dit is die reaksie van mnr Louis Meintjes, TLU SA se president, nadat dit aan die lig gekom het dat president Zuma se neef waarskynlik die grootste voordeel kan trek uit die Masimbambisane Rural Development Initiative.
“TLU SA was teenwoordig toe president Zuma die nuwe jaar se projekte aangekondig het en waar hy gevra het dat georganiseerde landbou daarby betrokke moet raak. Daar is toe inderdaad aangekondig dat ongeveer R900 miljoen staatsgeld daarin gepomp gaan word,” sê mnr Meintjes. Daar word beoog om 1 miljoen hektaar grond onder voedselproduksie te plaas, maar daar is geen aanduiding gegee van hoe die geld bestee gaan word nie.
Daar kan ook nie behoorlik rekenskap gegee word oor die geld wat die afgelope jaar bestee is nie. Sulke projekte behoort gemeet te word aan die oppervlakte wat bewerk is, hoeveel hektaar geplant is, wat was die koste gemeet aan kommersiële landbou standaarde, die opbrengs, wat die wins was. En of die produk kompeterend is in ‘n vrye mark ekonomie. Hierdie antwoorde is nie gegee nie.
Daar is ook ’n groot vraag oor die aanwending van die fondse. Hoeveel van die geld is werklik gespandeer op die grond waar die boer dit nodig het?
Volgens die program wat verskaf is, was hulle reeds agter met die implementering en gaan hulle in alle waarskynlikheid te laat wees vir die somer aanplanting.
Maar met die Staat se ruim bydrae is daar wel dadelik ’n familielid van die President beskikbaar om die projek te bestuur. Wat sy kennis van landbou is, is tot dusver ook onseker.
“Hierdie is ’n tweede Nkandla,” sê Meintjes. “Alhoewel TLU SA hom verbind tot voedselsekerheid in die land, doen hy dit vanuit die perspektief dat die kommersiële landbouer volhoubaar op sy grond gehou moet word as prioriteit. Tweedens moet die staat sy eie grond beskikbaar stel aan nuwe projekte en toesien dat hierdie projekte op volhoubare ekonomiese beginsels bestuur word, en nie deur moontlike nepotisme nie.”
TAU SA not prepared in helping Presidents nephew getting rich
TAU SA is not prepared to get involved in any project which will channel money to family of President Jacob Zuma.
This is the response from Mr Louis Meintjes, TAU SA’s president, after it was revealed that President Zuma’s nephew probably will be the largest beneficiary from the Masimbambisane Rural Development Initiative.
“TAU SA was present when President Zuma announced the coming year’s projects and where he requested organized agriculture to be involved. It was indeed announced that about R900 million in state funds would be pumped into this project,” said Meintjes. It is proposed that one million hectares of land will be used for food production, but there is no indication of how the allocated funds will be spent.
No proper accountability could be given about how funds were used in previous years. Such projects should be measured by the area under cultivation, the number of hectares planted, what the cost was when measured according to commercial agricultural standards, the yield, what profits were made and whether the products were competitive in a free market economy. Information in this regard was not forthcoming.
There is a big question about the expenditure of funds. How much of the money was actually spent where farmers needed it?
According to the program provided the activities are already behind schedule and they will probably be too late for summer planting.
But with the state’s generous contribution there is an immediate relative of the President available to manage the project. His expertise in agriculture is unclear.
“This is a second Nkandla,” said Meintjes. “Although TAU SA is committed to food security in the country, it does so from the perspective that sustainable commercial farmers should be kept on their land as a priority. Secondly the state has to make its own land available to new projects and to ensure that these projects are conducted on sustainable economic principles, and not tainted by possible nepotism.”