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Media Release: Government Outreach to the Mid-Karoo kicks off
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MEDIA RELEASE
 FOR IMMEDIATE USE
 11 JUNE 2001

GOVERNMENT OUTREACH TO THE MID-KAROO KICKS OFF

THE GOVERNMENT Outreach Programme in the Mid-Karoo got off to a melodic start today (June 11, 2001) with Sneeuwtyjie Preschool children 
welcoming the Eastern Cape Premier, Makhenkesi Stofile and the MEC for Agriculture and Land Affairs, Max Mamase, with a rendition of the 
national anthem as well as some nursery rhymes to Nieu-Bethesda.

However, this was a lighter moment before the two Executive Council Members met with representatives from the farmer associations from this 
mundane community. Rev Stofile told the meeting that they were there to listen to them so that “they know what it was that they wanted to 
see happening”.

“Trying to look at the province globally does not help. We rely on reports from staff and mostly they do not know what they are talking 
about because they sit around the table and rely on computers to get information,” he said.

As much as the issues raised by the farmers were quite expected their approach to the handling of crime/rural safety, infrastructure 
development, water, school farms and tourism was more prone to seeking cooperation and partnership with the government than to merely 
asking for government assistance.

The first commercial farmer to speak said that they wanted to see themselves as part of a partnership and were prepared to assist in 
development and skills transfer but the most important thing was the sustainability of such undertakings.

He said a generation ago there were 190 farmers in that area and since then the population had dwindled to just 70 and the remaining ones 
“were threatened by a number of things”.

Among those, he mentioned rural security for all rural dwellers. He said that the approach to rural crime needed not to be elitist or have 
racial connotations but it be total security for both farmers and labourers. “We would like to continue to be there and have a sustainable 
agricultural structure in the Eastern Cape”, he said. Rural crime as expressed by the farmers not only affected them but farm labourers and 
their families as well.

The speaker also criticized the way the victimization of farm labourers was reported saying that it created hostility towards the farmers. 
He said other people who ill-treated their labourers were only referred to as businesses and they did not understand why this could not be 
used in agriculture.

He, nevertheless, argued that the incidents of abusing farm labourers could not be condoned and the perpetrators were not affiliated to 
organized labour. He maintained that he was arguing for the image of the farmers in a holistic approach.

The farmers requested clarity from the Premier and MEC Mamase about the body responsible for roads between the municipalities, district 
council or the province. They said they relied heavily on infrastructure for their business but did not know whom to approach. They also 
alluded to the fact that Spoornet in the area was not maintaining the much needed rail infrastructure.

The implications of not having proper transport for the area, it was pointed out, were that businesses were not interested in investing in 
the area.

The depreciation of the quality of education for farm children is another sour point that was raised in the meeting. The farmers pointed 
that they were facing a serious reduction of resources from funding to teachers. This, they pointed out, was to a greater degree due to the 
amalgamation of farm schools that resulted in children having to walk extra long distances to get to school.

On tourism, they said they needed to be assisted with skills as well as systems and networks to develop tourism in the Graff-Reinet area. 
They added that the area had great potential and nature conservation was one of the areas that needed attention.

The farming community pledged goodwill. They told the Premier and MEC Mamase that they could not barricade themselves as that would prevent 
them from getting on with their fellow men.“ Many people seek to create opportunities by developing people. The Province of the Eastern 
Cape is a unique province which has infinite amount of people who can help up create opportunities” said one farmer. “We seek to become an 
integral part of the community.”

In his response to the concerns raised, the premier told the farmers that an enabling environment needed to be created for skilled people 
not to leave the farming. He said the concern regarding criminal activities in the area will be taken up with national departments.

Premier Stofile said farmers’ wives should feel free to move around as they pleased. On the issue of farm schools, he said, people needed 
to work towards the ideal where the schools that were originally meant for white learners would be utilized.

He also suggested that it would be a leap forward if children from faraway distance could be accommodated in schools during the week and 
only go home during weekends. He admitted that the resources were shrinking and school transport was not what it was supposed to be.

“I am talking of building a new South Africa. Our children should go to the same schools and have access the same education,” he said.

On the roads, the Premier said there was a problem with the tendering process which took too long, affecting the building of roads and 
resulting in money being rolled over to the next financial year. He also told the people that the government was busy with the 
reclassification of roads, which would help unblock some of the bottlenecks.

On the railways the Premier said they more noise should be made as “we cannot shut down these lines otherwise the small towns will die.

He concluded by calling on all the farmers to take management of the resources like the maintaining of roads.

Issued by: Communications Division – Office of the Premier
 Inquiries:Manelisi Wolela – 082 414 7760

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