Nuusflitse Maart 2014
GRONDSAKE / LAND AFFAIRS
Nuusflitse vir Maart 2014/Newsletter for March 2014...
Landbou moet uitdagings bestuur:
Die wetgewing en wetsontwerpe wat tans vir ongemaklikheid in die landbou sorg, is sake wat die landbou moet bestuur sodat die bedryf se belange grotendeels beskerm word. “Wat ons nie kan stop of beheer nie, moet ons so bestuur dat die minste moontlike skade berokken word,” sê dr. Piet Croucamp, dosent van die Departement van Politiek by die Universiteit van Johannesburg. Hy meen dat die bedryf ander sektore wat deur die wetgewing geraak word, moet nader vir ’n gesamentlike benadering. Wat die goedkeuring van die wetsontwerp vir die heropening van Grondeise betref, meen Croucamp dit is belangrik dat die landbou behoorlike navorsingskapasiteit moet hê, sodat die bedryf grondige kennis van die proses, die nagevolge daarvanasook die integriteit en geloofwaardigheid van eise kan hê.
“Dit is nou, meer as ooit, nodig om verbintenisse met finanisële instellings, voedselvervaardigers en diverse ander belangegroepe te smee om as ‘n breër front ‘n intelligente benadering tot die proses te verteenwoordig.” Croucamp meen dat die wetsontwerp op die Bevordering en Beskerming van Beleggings groot gevaar kan inhou vir die beginsel van privaat eienaarskap. Hy sê in dié verband is dit weereens noodsaaklik dat ander belanghebbende sektore by die proses betrek word, veral omdat die wetsontwerp so geskryf is dat dit waarskynlik almal in die korporatiewe sektor raak.
“Ek dink landbou moet dit aktief opponeer, maar daar is ander ekonomiese identiteite wat moeiliker gestigmatiseer kan word as landbou, en hulle moet dalk die kompeterende narratief lei. Ek twyfel egter of die wet in sy bestaande vorm sal oorleef en dit is beslis so dat die wet ook grondwetlik uitgedaag gaan word.”
Op sy beurt sê mnr. Harald Pakendrof, ’n onafhanklike politieke ontleder, die bedryf moet nie uit die oog verloor nie dat gedeeltes van die Grondwet verander sal moet word voor die voorgestelde wetgewing deurgevoer kan word. “Dit is sonder twyfel so dat die Regering ’n baie ideologiese benadering het aangaande grondregte, maar op die lange duur is hulle stadig om die agenda te dryf.” Pakendrof voorspel dat die ANC gaan skrik oor die steun wat hulle in die Oos-Kaap, Gauteng en die Noord-Kaap gaan verloor. “En hulle gaan dalk so groot skrik dat hulle veranderinge sal begin aanbring. Maar een ding weet ons al ’n tyd lank, en dit is dat hulle sensitief is vir internasionale druk en dat hulle ag slaan op teenstand wat internasionaal teen sekere sake gebied word,” aldus Pakendorf.
Intussen sê me. Annelize Crosby, parlementêre verteenwoordiger vir Agri SA, die publisering van die wetsontwerp op die Bevordering en Beskerming van Beleggings moet nie tans ’n bron tot paniek wees nie. Georganiseerde landbou het van die wetsontwerp kennis geneem, en dit al bestudeer. Agri SA, waarvan Vrystaat Landbou ’n affiliaat is, het senior regslui genader om ’n opinie te verkry oor die gevare wat die wetsontwerp sou kon inhou. Sodra hulle terugvoer ontvang, en die opinie deeglik bestudeer het, sal hulle lede verder inlig. Crosby sê tans is die wetsontwerp by die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid en dit kan nie by die parlement ingedien word tot ten minste na die verkiesing nie. Crosby wil die lede van Agri SA gerus stel dat die situasie dopgehou word, en hulle belange op die hart gedra word.
Agriculture must manage challenges:
Legislation which currently fills the agricultural sector with unease, are issues which the sector must manage sothat the wider interests of the sector can be protected. “That which we can’t stop or control, must be managed in such a way that it causes the least possible damage,” says dr. Piet Croucamp, lecturer at the Department of Politics at the University of Johannesburg. He encourages the industry to contact other sectors which are also influenced by the legislation, so that a joint approach can be found.
With regards to the passing of the bill for the Re-opening of the Land Claims process, Croucamp remarks thatagriculture should have proper research capacity for knowledge of the process, the consequences there-off as well as the integrity and credibility of claims. “Commitments between agriculture, financial institutions, food producers and other diverse interest groups is needed now, more than ever, so that a wider front for an intelligent approach with regards to the process can be represented.”
The bill on the Promotion and Protection of Investments can be very dangerous for the principle of privateownership, according to Croucamp. He says in this regard it is again necessary to include other interest groups in the process, especially because the bill was written in such a way that it will also influence the corporate sector. “I think agriculture should actively oppose the bill, but there are other economic entities with less stigma than agriculture that should rather lead the competing narrative. I doubt however that the bill will survive in its current form and it is a fact that the constitutionality there-off will be challenged.”
A fact which the agricultural sector should not forget, is that the Constitution will have to be altered for some of the legislation in the pipeline to go through as it is currently compiled, says mr. Harald Pakendorf, an independent political analyst. “Government has, without a doubt, a very ideological approach to land rights, but they are very slow to drive their agenda on the long run.”
Pakendorf forecasts that the ANC will be surprised by the amount of votes they are going lose in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Northern Cape with the National Election. “And they might catch a fright and start to implement changes. But one thing we’ve known for a long time, and that is that they are sensitive for international pressure and that they heed to international opposition to certain issues,” says Pakendrof. According to Agri SA no reason exists for mass panic after the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill was published. Organised agriculture have duly noted the bill, and they have studied it already. Agri SA, of which Free State Agriculture is an affiliate, has requested senior law experts to examine the bill and inform them of the danger the bill may hold.
As soon as they’ve received feedback, they will study the opinion thoroughly and inform theirmembers. Annelize Crosby, parliamentary representative for Agri SA, says the bill currently lies with the Department of Trade and Industry and it can’t be handed in at parliament before the elections. Crosby wants to put members of Agri SA at ease that a close eye is kept on the situation, and that their interests are taken to heart.