The in the agricultural sector has come under the spotlight as DA leader John Steenhuisen takes over as minister of agriculture.
Steenhuisen was announced as one of the 32 ministers taking up Cabinet positions in the Government of National Unity (GNU).
His appointment has been met with mixed reaction in the agricultural sector.
President of the Black Association of the Wine and Spirit Industry (Bawsi), Nosey Pieterse, said there was a level of disappointment.
“We anticipated that the DA would want this and I have indicated to government officials that we did not want the DA to have (this ministry). The main reason ... is that the DA is against the labour law regime of the Republic of South Africa ... “They have a problem with real transformation.
“They want good relationships on farms, but what they actually want is subservient workers who are obedient workers,” said Pieterse.
Executive director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, Billy Classen, said they hoped the new ministers would hit the ground running.
“We always maintained that farmworkers are the poorest of the poor and destitute of the country and that the DA has no compassion for the plight of farmworkers and farm dwellers. They also don’t have a good relationship with labour unions and civil society organisations serving farmworkers.
“We fought for transformation in the agricultural sector for years and we are of the view the appointment of Steenhuisen as minister takes us back.
“We have struggled for years to get the issues of farmworkers on the agenda of the ANC-led government and are of the view that we will struggle more with the leader of the DA,” said Classen.
Meanwhile, AgriSA chief executive Johann Kotzé said they were pleased with the new minister and deputy ministers.
“We look forward to a collaborative and productive relationship, working together to advance the agricultural sector in South Africa.
“These appointments come at a critical juncture, and we are confident that under these ministers’ leadership, the agricultural sector will thrive and continue to be a cornerstone of the national economy.”
Steenhuisen said the DA will use its “influential Cabinet” roles to pursue rapid growth and job creation.
“The DA was never in this for positions for their own sake, which is why we refused to accept watered-down compromises, and why we drove a hard bargain at times to ensure that the portfolios we get are of real substance.
“We are also pleased that the negotiations reaffirmed the agreed-upon mechanism to break deadlocks on policy matters, that any suspicious tenders issued in departments now under DA control will be swiftly investigated, and that senior civil service appointments will not be obstructed or politicised,” said Steenhuisen.
Cape Times