DA hopes that drought relief will be bolstered

25 February 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape (NC) hopes that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, will give emphasis in tomorrow’s budget speech on the allocation of funds towards disaster management, considering the impact of the drought on the province and the entire country.

We are disappointed that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) gave little hope to the farming community in the Northern Cape. Although the President acknowledged the drought in several provinces, there was no mention of disaster funding or drought assistance for farmers.

Transformation in the agricultural sector is one of the driving principles of the economy in the Northern Cape and to date the government has failed dismally in providing adequate support to farmers.

The DA would like to hear that the process of extending the disaster period will be extended and that the Northern Cape government will be able to provide farmers with animal feed.

The recently declared “drought funding” of R218 million, to predominantly support dysfunctional municipalities with infrastructure, is to the detriment of sustainable agriculture.

Now is the time for Mboweni to show his strength and determination to make decisions that benefit all economic driven sectors, especially the agricultural sector and to take the farmers back into his confidence by giving them back their dignity, their livelihood, and their ability to actively contribute to the country’s food basket.

Issued by Reinette Liebenberg, DA Northern Cape Spokesperson for Agriculture, Land Reform, Rural Development and Nature Conservation, 25 February 2020