Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso has applauded Gerrit van Vuuren, founder and strategic adviser of Partners in Agri Land Solutions (PALS), for his outspoken role in addressing sensitive issues around farm murders, land reform and partnerships in agriculture.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
Nyhontso was delivering the keynote address at PALS’ 11th annual general meeting at Ceres Golf Club in the Western Cape last week when he commended van Vuuren’s open letter to legendary golfer Ernie Els. Els was part of the South African delegation that accompanied President Cyril Ramaphosa to the White House earlier this year.
“Meeting at the Ceres Golf Course today, I cannot ignore the fact that I read the open letter that was written by PALS to the golfer Ernie Els. Your letter, Gerrit van Vuuren, addresses the proverbial elephant in the room,” Nyhontso told delegates.
No “White Genocide”
In the letter, Van Vuuren praised Els for sparking a discussion with US President Donald Trump, while cautioning against misinformation.
“Although Mr Trump created refugee status for Afrikaans farmers to relocate to the USA, we all know there is no real genocide going on here,” Van Vuuren wrote. “There are farmers being murdered, yes, but it is not focused on Afrikaans farmers per se. It is just that there are more commercial Afrikaans farmers in SA in relation to any other language. Be that as it may, there are many farmers of many different languages, colour or creed who are not interested in leaving South Africa.”
Nyhontso echoed this view, stressing that crime affects all South Africans equally.
“We agree that because there are so many Afrikaner farmers, they would feature as a statistic on farm killings,” he said, warning against racial profiling and selective use of statistics.
Building New-era Farmers
In the letter, Van Vuuren also highlighted PALS’ work in driving inclusive agricultural development. Since its inception in 2014, PALS has helped establish 55 successful new-era (predominantly black) farming enterprises. Its model is based on partnerships between new entrants, established commercial farmers and black economic empowerment (BEE) farming companies set up by PALS.
“The costly exercise includes securing water rights, accessing development capital, acquiring management skills and establishing markets,” Van Vuuren noted.
Nyhontso praised these efforts and urged PALS to remain true to its founding values while adapting its strategies to cater for the diverse needs of farmers across South Africa.
Focus On Youth, Women And Markets
Looking ahead, the Minister urged PALS to bring more young people and women into commercial agriculture. He suggested closer collaboration with his department’s NARYSEC youth programme and emphasised the importance of modern farming methods and technologies.
“In this Women’s Month, I want to highlight the importance of creating meaningful and sustainable jobs for women in a sector that is known for creating the most jobs. A secure and stable income reduces the vulnerability of our young women exposed to gender-based violence,” Nyhontso said.
The Minister also challenged PALS to help smallholder farmers overcome barriers to markets, which he described as one of the biggest obstacles to transformation.
“Farming without access to markets is what has killed the dreams of many new entrants,” he cautioned. “There is a great concern that successful commercial farmers are blocking access or acting as gatekeepers by demanding high percentages of yields for licences to enter certain markets.”
A Call For Genuine Transformation
Concluding his address, Nyhontso called for the dismantling of social, political and cultural barriers in agriculture.
“I am of the view that if these barriers are addressed and removed, the process of skills transfer, meaningful business partnerships, growth and prosperity for all will become the way that our farming practices and society generally is characterised, as positive and progressive.”
