AGOA update: Minister Patel fails to provide clarity on the over 136,000 jobs at stake in Western Cape alone
26 September 2023
Today's oversight briefing on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by Minister Ebrahim Patel to the NCOP and National Assembly took an unexpected turn, leaving critical questions unanswered and casting a shadow of uncertainty over the number of jobs at stake.
Rather than providing the necessary insights into South Africa's inclusion in any potential renewal of AGOA, the briefing was abruptly cut short, leaving members of the Western Cape Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism, who had received special permission to attend, without a proper opportunity to gain clarity on this matter.
For several months, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has relentlessly pressed for feedback from the Minister regarding AGOA, an economic lifeline that grants preferential access to the US market for African nations. The Western Cape alone has more than 136,000 jobs in the agriculture sector directly dependent on AGOA, according to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.
Despite numerous invitations, Minister Patel has declined to appear before the Standing Committee since May, instead pointing to today's briefing as the platform to address members' concerns. Regrettably, this meeting was prematurely curtailed, leaving many critical issues unresolved.