REPORT OF THE
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES ON ACTIVITIES
UNDERTAKEN DURING THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT (MAY 2009 – MARCH 2014)
1.
PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the work of the
Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereinafter
referred to as the Committee) during the Fourth Parliament; and to inform the
Members of the new Parliament of key outstanding issues pertaining to the
oversight and legislative programme of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Department) and its entities.
This report provides an overview of the activities the Committee
undertook during the Fourth Parliament, the outcome of key activities, as well
as any challenges that emerged during the period under review and issues that
should be considered for follow-up during the 5th Parliament. It
summarises the key issues for follow-up and concludes with recommendations to
strengthen operational and procedural processes to enhance the Committee’s
oversight and legislative roles in future.
2.
INTRODUCTION
2.1 The Portfolio
Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
2.1.1 Functions of
the Committee
The mandate of the Portfolio Committee on
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Committee)
is derived from the mission and vision of Parliament and
in line with the powers of the Committee as mandated by Chapter 4 of the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The Committee is
therefore, mandated to:
·
consider, amend and/or initiate legislation
that is specific to, or impacts on agriculture, forestry and fisheries;
·
consider and review the strategic plans and
budgets of the Department and its entities;
·
monitor and oversee the activities, financial
and non-financial performance of the Ministry and the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Department)
and its entities;
·
monitor and oversee the implementation of the
Department’s policies and legislation;
·
consider sector-related international
treaties and agreements; and
·
provide a platform for the public to
participate and present views on specific topics and/or legislation in relation
to the three sectors.
2.1.2 Method of Work
of the Committee
The Committee held
weekly meetings on Tuesdays (allotted slot) but often more than once a week as
per each Committee Term programme to:
·
Engage
the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and its entities on
topical issues and other legislative mandates.
·
Consider
Strategic Plans, Annual Performance Plans (APPs), Budgets and Annual Reports of
the Department and its entities.
·
Oversee
the implementation of the Department and entities’ programmes and budgetary use
as per the APPs for each relevant Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)
period.
·
Consider
Legislation as tabled.
·
Consider
the State of the Nation Address.
·
Engage
the Department on government priorities as per the Medium Term Strategic
Framework (MTSF).
·
Hold
Public Hearings on topical issues and legislation that is being processed.
·
Undertake
oversight visits to provinces and entities.
·
Address
submissions by stakeholders.
·
Engage
other relevant government departments and institutions such as the
Auditor-General, the Competition Commission, Financial and Fiscal Commission
(FFC), the Public Protector, etc. on sectoral issues.
2.1.3 Sectoral
Stakeholders that the Committee interacted with during the Fourth Parliament
The following table presents some of the stakeholders that interacted
with the Committee on sectoral matters:
Farmer Organisations & Commodity Groups |
Fishing Companies & Fisheries Organisations |
Government agencies |
Academic institutions |
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) |
Trade Unions |
AgriSA National Emergent
Red Meat Producers Organisation (NERPO) African Farmers
Association of South Africa (AFASA) National
Agricultural Farmers Union (NAFU), National Wool
Growers Association (NWGA) Grain SA South African
Poultry Association (SAPA) South African Pork
Producers Organisation (SAPPO) Red Meat Industry
Forum (RMIF) Association of Meat
Importers and Exporters (AMIE) Milk Producers
Organisation (MPO) Potato South Africa
South African
Agricultural Processors Association (SAAPA) |
Oceana Sea Harvest Coastal Link South
Africa Feike First Indigenous
Women of Houtbay Fish SA Hottentots Holland
Fishers Association Ibhayi Fishing Masifundise
Development Trust South African
United Fishing Front Umoya Fishing & Processing Artisanal Fishers
Association West Coast Rock
Lobster Association Youth Group of
Small-scale Fishers Helderberg
Artisanal Fishers Ocean View
Community Fishing Forum Ocean View/Witsand Artisanal
Fishers Association |
AgriSETA South African Wine
Industry Trust (SAWIT) South African
Forestry Company (SAFCOL) Legal Resources
Centre |
Stellenbosch
University University of the
Western Cape University of
KwaZulu-Natal University of Free
State Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University |
African Centre for
Biosafety AfricaBio |
Food and Allied
Workers Union (FAWU) Congress of South
African Trade Unions (COSATU) |
2.2 The Department and Entities falling within the Committee’s Portfolio
The Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was newly established in 2009 following the
amalgamation of forestry and fisheries sectors into the former Department
of Agriculture through proclamations signed by the President. Before 2009,
Agriculture was a separate Department within the former Ministry of Agriculture
and Land Affairs; Forestry was within the former Department of Water Affairs
and Forestry; and Fisheries (the functions of which are still split between two
Departments) was Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) within the former
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The amalgamation of the
Forestry sector into Agriculture went smoothly while that of Fisheries was done
in phases after two proclamations signed by the President relating to specific
Sections of the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA), 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998)
and the Sea Fisheries Act, 1988 (Act No. 12 of 1988), which govern Fisheries.
The first proclamation to transfer parts of the MCM as Fisheries, to Agriculture,
was signed on 26 June 2009 and came into effect on 01 March 2010. The Fisheries
amalgamation also saw the transfer of the Marine Living Resources Fund, an
entity within the Fisheries Branch, into the new Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries.
2.2.1 Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
The aim of the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries is to lead,
support and promote agricultural, forestry and fisheries resources growth and
management through policies, strategies and programmes that contribute to and
embrace economic growth and development;
job creation; sustainable use of natural resources; food security and
rural development. The Department’s legislative mandate is derived from Section
27(1)(b), as well as Section 24(b)(iii) of the Constitution of the Republic of
South Africa.
In
addition, the Department contributes directly to three of the 12 national
government priority outcomes for the MTSF, namely:
·
Outcome 4:
Decent employment through
inclusive economic growth.
·
Outcome 7: Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural
communities contributing towards food security for all.
·
Outcome 10: Protect and enhance our
environmental assets and natural resources.
The Department’s six key strategic goals,
which are oriented towards the above priority outcomes, with some associated
objectives through which it plans to achieve its objectives over the medium term expenditure framework
(MTEF) period are:
1)
Increased profitable production of food,
fibre and timber products by all categories of producers (subsistence, small
holder and commercial).
o
Create employment by increasing the number of
participants in the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors through
support for smallholders and processors.
o
Improve the food security initiative by
coordinating production systems to increase the profitable production, handling
and processing of food, fibre and timber products by all categories of
producers.
2)
Sustained management of natural resources.
o
Ensure the sustainable use of natural
resources by means of promoting environmentally sustainable production systems
and the efficient use of natural resources.
3)
Effective national regulatory services and
risk management systems.
4)
A transformed and united sector.
5)
Increased contribution of the sector to
economic growth and development.
o
Improve the income and conditions of farm
workers, foresters and fishers.
o
Enhance exports by facilitating market access
for agricultural, forestry and fisheries products.
6)
Effective and efficient governance.
2.2.2 Entities of the
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Name of Entity |
Role of Entity |
Agricultural
Research Council (ARC) |
The ARC was established in terms of Section
2 of the Agricultural Research Act, 1990 (Act No. 86 of 1990). The ARC is the principal
agricultural research institution in the county. It provides agricultural
research and development, technology transfer and support to the agricultural
community. In addition, the ARC is the custodian of the country's national
collections of insects. |
Onderstepoort
Biological Products (OBP) |
The OBP was established in terms of the
Onderstepoort Biological Products Incorporation Act, 1999 (Act No.19 of
1999); and is listed under the PFMA as a Schedule 3B Public Entity. It is a state-owned
bio-technical company that manufactures livestock vaccines and related
products for the global animal health care industry. |
National
Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) |
The NAMC was established in terms of
Section 3 and 4 of the Marketing of Agricultural Products Act, 1996 (Act No.
47 of 1996) as amended by Act No. 52 of 2001. The core mandate of the
NAMC is to investigate and advise the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries on agricultural marketing policies and their application, and to
co-ordinate agricultural marketing policy in relation to national economic,
social and development policies and international trends and developments. |
Perishable Products
Export Control Board (PPECB) |
The PPECB was established in terms of
Section 2 of the Perishable Products Export Control Act, 1983 (Act No. 9 of
1983). It is a public entity that is listed in the PFMA as a Schedule 3A
Public Entity. The PPECB controls the export
shipment of perishable produce from South Africa and the
order of shipment at all ports; makes recommendations on the handling of perishable produce when moved to and from
railway trucks and other vehicles or cold stores; and promotes uniform
freight rates for the export of perishable products. |
Ncera Farms (Pty)
Ltd (hereinafter referred to as Ncera) |
Ncera Farms (Pty)
Ltd is a public company listed under Schedule 3B in terms of the Public
Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999) as amended. The Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is the sole shareholder. It is
situated in the Eastern Cape on state-owned land of approximately 4 000
hectares. The primary function of Ncera is to assist developing farmers and
rural communities by providing a variety of services such as advice and
training, agricultural extension services, the mechanisation of agricultural
production, animal improvement schemes and marketing of agricultural
products. |
Marine Living
Resources Fund (MLRF) |
The MLRF was
established in terms of Section 10 of the MLRA and is a schedule 3A Public
Entity as specified under the PFMA. The MLRF is the main source of funding
for the operational activities of the Fisheries Branch. In terms of Section
10(3) of the MLRA, the Director-General of the Department administers the
MLRF in consultation with the Minister. The functions of the MLRF are
executed by the staff of the Branch in partnership with other stakeholders in
the fisheries-related industry. The mandate and core business of the MLRF is to manage the development
and sustainable use of South Africa’s marine resources, to protect the
integrity and quality of the marine ecosystem and to ensure the growth of the
aquaculture sector. |
South African
Veterinary Council (SAVC) |
SAVC is a representative
organisation of the veterinary and para-veterinary professions promoting the
health and well-being of all people of South Africa through the promotion of
animal health production and well-being. |
The
Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank)
The
Land Bank was established in terms of Section 1 of the Land Bank Act, 1912 (Act
No. 18 of 1912), which was repealed by Section 53 of the Land Bank Act, 1944
(Act No. 13 of 1944), which was further repealed by the Land and Agricultural Development
Bank Act, 2002 (Act No. 15 of 2002). The Land Bank operates as a development
finance institution within the agricultural and agribusiness sectors. It
provides a range of finance options to a broad spectrum of clients in the
agricultural sector, including entrepreneurs, women and youth through its
network of branches and satellite offices.
However, the Land
Bank has since July 2008 been administered by the National Treasury following a
proclamation from the President and therefore, accounts to the Minister of
Finance. As a result, the Committee experienced challenges in getting the Land
Bank to report to the Committee on its activities.
3. STATISTICS OF COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
The table below provides an overview of the number of meetings held,
legislation and the number of oversight trips undertaken by the Committee, as
well as any statutory appointments the Committee made, during the Fourth
Parliament:
Activity |
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
Total |
Meetings held |
13 |
32 |
23 |
36 |
49 |
153 |
Legislation processed |
None |
None |
None |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Oversight trips undertaken |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
12 |
Study tours undertaken |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
N/A |
International agreements processed |
None |
None |
None |
None |
None |
N/A |
Statutory appointments made |
None |
None |
None |
3 |
1 |
4 |
Petitions considered |
None |
None |
None |
None |
1 |
1 |
4. LEGISLATION REFERRED AND PROCESSED
The following pieces of legislation were referred to the Committee and
processed during the Fourth Parliament:
Year |
Name of Legislation |
Tagging |
Objectives |
Completed/Not Completed |
|
|
|
|
|
2009/10 |
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2010/11 |
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2011/12 |
None |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2012/13 |
Veterinary and Para-veterinary Professions Amendment Bill [B25 - 2012
] |
Section 75 |
The Amendment Bill
sought to amend the Veterinary and Para-veterinary Professions Act, as
amended by Acts No. 19 of 1989, No. 13 of 1993 and No. 10 of 2002. The new
Amendment Bill sought to provide for: · the
establishment of an Appeal Committee and its functions; · the
performance of compulsory community service by certain persons registering in
terms of the Act; ·
the registration of a person who has
completed the relevant qualification but which has not been conferred; · a
registered foreign veterinarian to continue practising by attaining either citizenship or permanent residency; · the
appointment and powers of inspection officers; · the
investigation of complaints and cost orders; and other · matters connected therewith. |
Completed |
|
|
|
|
|
2013/14 |
Fertilisers and Feeds Bill [B41 – 2012] Marine Living Resources Amendment Bill [B30 – 2013] |
Section 76 Section 76 |
·
The Bill sought to provide for the licensing of facilities and
rendering plants; ·
the registration of feed additives, raw materials, animal by-products,
imported fertilisers, feeds or pet foods, and home mixers; ·
the appointment of a Registrar to administer the Act; ·
the establishment of the Technical Standards Advisory Council; and ·
other matters connected therewith. ·
The Bill seeks to
amend the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998), so as to
insert, amend or delete certain definitions; ·
to make provision
for measures relating to small-scale fishing and for the powers and duties of
the Minister in this regard; ·
to effect technical
amendments; and ·
to provide for
other matters connected therewith. |
The Committee referred the Bill back to the Department and during that
process, it was subsequently withdrawn by the Minister Completed |
4.1 Challenges
encountered in the processing of Legislation
Procedurally, the Committee experienced delays in the processing and
finalisation of the Marine Living Resources Amendment Bill due to uncertainty
regarding its tagging. The Bill was introduced to Parliament as a proposed
Section 75 and was eventually changed and tagged as a Section 76 Bill. The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with
the legal advice that they received from Parliament and recommended that proper
consultation should take place between the legal advisors with respect to
tagging before any Bill is referred to the Committee.
5.
COMMITTEE’S FOCUS
AREAS, BRIEFINGS AND/OR PUBLIC HEARINGS
DURING THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT
5.1 FOCUS AREAS AND
BRIEFINGS OVER THE 5-YEAR TERM
In the beginning of the Fourth Parliament the
Committee focused on the alignment of the three sectors (agriculture, forestry
and fisheries) that constitute the Department,
budget adjustments and re-alignments as forestry and fisheries were
previously budgeted for under different votes, and policy instruments through
which the Department operate.
The Committee also focused on overseeing how
the Department’s activities were contributing to the fulfilment of the National
Government Priority Outcomes that relate to the three sectors. In the medium
term, the Department’s policy initiatives were focused at fulfilling Outcomes 4
and Outcome 7, which relate to job creation, food security and rural
development.
It should be noted that while in certain cases the Committee requested
specific extensive briefings on topical issues across all three sectors that
are in the ambit of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, most
of the issues and programmes were also dealt with through the reporting processes
on quarterly performance and briefings on budgets and annual reports.
The Committee achieved its target of holding briefings on Strategic
Plans, Budgets and Annual Reports of the Department and its entities on an
annual basis. Furthermore, the Committee managed to hold briefings with the
Department on its quarterly performance and expenditure, with the exception of
the 2013/14 financial year in which the Committee was briefed on the first and
second quarterly reports. Whilst the Committee engaged and held briefings on
many areas, particularly in Agriculture, the following were the key Committee
focus areas in overseeing the activities of the Department and its entities
during the Fourth Parliament:
5.1.1 Technical and
Post-settlement Support
The Committee’s main focus on technical support has been on the provision
of extension services and monitoring of the extension recovery programme (ERP),
market information and access, capacity building and skills training of
farmers, as well as pre- and post-settlement support for land reform
beneficiaries. While the Committee’s activities in this regard focused on
Agriculture, the Committee also emphasised similar and/or relevant technical
support for developing producers in the Forestry sector and small-scale fishers
in the Fisheries sector.
The Committee recognised that farmers, particularly land reform
beneficiaries needed training on skills that they have not acquired including
business and financial management, assistance with markets as well as
continuous technical support for their chosen ventures. Farmers and Members of
the Committee noted that the extension service is failing and have been equally
raising concerns regarding the invisibility of extension officers in farming
areas and lack of advisory and technical support to land reform beneficiaries.
In areas where there are extension officers, farmers complained about their
lack of skills, an issue which has also been raised by the developing farmer
commodity organisation, NERPO. A Draft National Policy on Extension and
Advisory Services is under development and is still undergoing a consultation
process.
5.1.2 Mechanisation
In terms of mechanisation, the Committee emphasised the development and
provision of infrastructure across all three sectors, provision of equipment
and revitalisation of irrigation schemes. A number of challenges were raised
regarding mechanisation particularly the provision and distribution of tractors
and other farming implements in different provinces. In terms of the distribution
of tractors and farming equipment, provinces are doing different things with
some having provincial policies whilst some do not. In this regard, the
Committee has been emphasising the development of a national policy to ensure
uniformity and accountability. The Department has since 2011 developed a Draft
Mechanisation Policy, which is still undergoing a consultation process at
Cabinet level. The country has various
irrigation schemes mostly in the former homelands, from which communities
derived a livelihood but have since been left derelict. The revitalisation of
these irrigation schemes has been a Government focus since 2007 and the
Committee further engaged the Department on the revitalisation of these
irrigation schemes to assist the communities surrounding them. The
National Development Plan (NDP) recognises that agriculture is the primary
economic activity in rural areas and has the potential to create one million
new jobs by 2030 by expanding irrigated agriculture. Some of the irrigation schemes such as Taung
in the North West and Makhathini Flats in KwaZulu-Natal have since been
revitalised but there are still challenges with their utilisation, management
and water licensing.
5.1.3 Financial
Support
The Department has various financial instruments for different farming
categories and activities, which are funded through conditional grants such as
Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP), Ilima/letsema and LandCare.
In addition, there is also the Micro Agricultural Financial Institutions of
South Africa (Mafisa), which provides micro loans of up to R100 000 to
developing farmers. The Committee has been advocating for a one-stop-shop for
farmer support whereby all the conditional grants and other financial support
programmes of the Department are pooled and centrally managed to provide all
the different kinds of services that farmers and land reform beneficiaries
require. The Committee also emphasised the monitoring and evaluation of the
funding instruments and the inclusion of Forestry and Fisheries in the
Department’s support programmes for previously disadvantaged individuals.
Currently, small-scale fishers receive assistance on financial support and
fishing equipment (boats) from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti).
5.1.4 Food Security
and Food Safety
The
country has an Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS) that was developed in
2002, which remains an overarching and well-intentioned Strategy that is
premised on the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s food
security definition and is also linked to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1.
However, the IFSS has not been effectively implemented in a coordinated manner
to realise maximum impact across all sectors; as departments still work in
silos. The Department did not have a specific policy on food security but has
been addressing food security by providing support through CASP for smallholder
producers, Ilima/letsema for subsistence producers and various other programmes
that are targeted at poor households through distribution of agricultural
starter packs. The Committee has been engaging the Department on the absence of
a Food Security Policy that is aligned with the IFSS, the absence of a
monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure accountability for the funds
allocated to provinces and evaluation of the impact of the different support
programmes (CASP was established in 2004) on food insecurity and livelihood
improvement. The Committee recognised that South Africa may be reportedly food
secure at the national scale with the help of imports but millions of
households in South Africa are food insecure and poverty-related food
insecurity has also increased in urban areas. In this regard, the Committee
emphasised food self-sufficiency by improving the productive capacity of
developing farmers and households through a one-stop-shop support programme
that has been alluded to under Financial Support. The Department have recently
drafted a Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) Framework for CASP, which still
needs to be reviewed to include all conditional grants as has been recommended
by the Committee. A National Food and Nutrition Security Policy, which is the
collaboration between the Department and the Department of Social Development
was approved by Cabinet in September 2013.
Food safety came under public spotlight in recent years due to outbreaks of
diseases that are derived from plant and animal-based products either through
consumption or contact, particularly with animals (for example, avian
influenza, swine fever, mad cow disease, etc.). The food safety discussions
also included briefings and discussions on brine injection in poultry and the
use and availability of genetically-modified (GM) food products in South
Africa. Most recently, in 2013, food safety came under spotlight again
following media reports on mislabelling of meat products. The Committee has
been holding the Department into account regarding effective and
rigorous food safety and biosafety measures as failure to address food products
safety may negatively impact agricultural production and the economy of the
country, as well as employment in the sector. In its interactions with the
Department on the subject, the Committee recognised that the administration and
management of foot safety is multi-sectoral. Therefore, the Departments of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Health (DoH) and Trade and Industry (the
dti) were tasked by the joint parliamentary Portfolio Committees overseeing the
respective sectors to work collaboratively in developing an integrated food
safety framework for the country as opposed to the different pieces of
legislation under different Departments that all deal with food safety. In this
regard, the relevant Minsters approved the establishment of the
Inter-departmental Food Safety Coordinating
Committee (IDFSCC), which has since formed a Technical Working Group that is
working on the establishment of a Food Safety Agency for the country. The
IDFSCC constitute the Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
Health and Trade and Industry, as well as the National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications (NRCS).
5.1.5 Rural
Development
Agriculture
is often considered as the backbone of the rural economy and a driver of rural
economic development. Outcome 7, which focuses on rural development, is chaired
by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), while the
Department is co-chairing, given its role in ensuring food security through
agricultural production in these areas. In addition, the Department is
responsible for the Agrarian Transformation pillar of the DRDLR’s Comprehensive
Rural Development Programme (CRDP). In
this regard, the two Departments are expected to work closely in a
well-coordinated manner to ensure accelerated development and increased
agricultural production in rural areas. While DRDLR may ensure availability of
land for production including relevant rural infrastructure, the Department is
supposed to lead and advise on any technical aspects related to agriculture,
forestry or fisheries including the feasibility, monitoring, as well as
ensuring market access for such projects. The Committee has held joint meetings
and conducted a number of joint oversight visits with the Portfolio Committee
on Rural Development and Land Reform to oversee the implementation of the CRDP
and progress in the land reform programme. While the two Departments are still
not working collaboratively on CRDP projects, in some provinces, where
Agriculture and Rural Development are under one provincial Department, there
are collaborative activities. Lack of collaboration between Departments was
seen by the Committee as impeding land reform progress and subsequently rural
development; and resulted in wastage of resources through duplication of
activities.
5.1.6 Job Creation
Unemployment, a measure of economic
development, is one of the factors affecting economic development in South
Africa, particularly in rural areas. Given its labour-intensiveness and the
ability to absorb unskilled and semi-skilled labour, agriculture has great
potential to assist Government in the fight against poverty and unemployment as
it plays a critical role in producing food for the country and in the
subsistence of the rural poor. Creation of decent jobs is one of the main foci
of the country’s New Growth Path (NGP) in which the agricultural value chain is
one of the job drivers through smallholder schemes in industrial products, the
export of wine and fruit as well as extension services.
The Department has job creation programmes
that are linked to the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) such as LandCare
and Working on Fire in agriculture and forestry, respectively, and Working for
Fisheries in fisheries. LandCare also addresses Outcome 10. The Department
further aims to create more sustainable jobs through the development of
smallholder producers. The Committee has been engaging the Department on the
EPWP job-creation projects, the nature and sustainability of jobs created in
relation to funding invested as well as the development of agro-processing
(including aquaculture), which has been identified as one of the job drivers in
the NGP and the Industrial Policy Action Plan 2 (IPAP2). In terms of agro-processing, which has been
identified in the IPAP2 and NGP as a job driver to create 145 000 new jobs
by 2020, the Department has approved an Agro-processing Strategic Framework in
2012 to address unemployment. Agro-processing is a very important area across
all three sectors with the highest potential to create not just jobs but new
entrepreneurs particularly from the thousands of unemployed agricultural
graduates.
5.1.7 Climate Change and Disaster
Management
Climate
change, which is rapidly emerging as one of the most acute environmental
problems of the 21st century, exacerbates existing environmental,
social and economic problems while bringing new challenges. It may put more
pressure on the country’s scarce resources, with implications for agricultural
production, forestry and sustainability of fisheries resources, as well as on
employment and food security. Members of the Committee have taken part in
parliamentary discussions on Climate Change and some have attended the
different United Nations (UN) Conferences of the Parties on Climate Change
since 2010. The Committee has had a
number of briefings on the subject and has been holding the Department into
account regarding its activities to raise awareness, particularly to farmers,
mitigation and adaptation initiatives and the development of an integrated
sectoral plan/strategy on climate change. To date the Department has since
developed a Climate Change Mitigation Plan and a Climate Change Adaptation
Plan, which have not been implemented yet.
In
recent years, South Africa has been more prone to natural disasters (droughts,
floods and veld fires) that affected agriculture and forestry. Floods and
droughts, which are usually accompanied by high air temperatures, can also have
a negative impact on fisheries resources.
Climate change can exacerbate the frequency and impact of such natural
disasters. The Committee visited some of the disaster affected areas and
continuously held briefings with the Department on disaster response and
management. The Committee has consistently raised concerns with the
Department’s slow and ineffective response to disasters that affect the sector
and the fact that the Department focuses more on post-disaster response rather
than mitigation and risk reduction through early warning systems.
5.1.8 Disease Outbreaks
In
the past four years, the country has seen outbreaks of diseases of economic
importance that had a negative impact on the agricultural sector in particular.
These include Rift Valley fever (RVF), avian influenza, Johne’s disease,
brucellosis, army worms, African Horse Sickness (AHS), citrus black spot (CBS),
and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The latter two diseases led to bans of South
African citrus, meat and livestock product exports to the European Union (EU)
and other countries. With briefings also from the industry, the Committee
engaged intensely on disease outbreaks and how the matter was addressed. The
Committee’s focus regarding the briefings on disease outbreaks has been on the
regulatory frameworks and control measures locally, across borders and on ports
of entry, including the role of the Department’s veterinary and extension
services in disease awareness and prevention. South Africa’s status of FMD-free
without vaccination was formally reinstated by the OIE on 14 February 2014 and
the ban on meat and livestock product exports was subsequently lifted. However,
the ban on the country’s citrus exports due to CBS is still applicable in the
EU.
5.1.9 Transformation in the Forestry
Sector
Whilst transformation across all sectors has been a constant matter
during annual departmental briefings to the Committee, specific briefings were
also held with Forest Sector Charter Council and SAFCOL regarding the
representation and participation of previously disadvantaged individuals on
Forestry-related businesses. Challenges
that have been identified but not resolved in the Forestry sector are the
settlement of land claims on forest land and challenges associated with getting
water licenses, particularly for community forestry projects and other previously
disadvantaged forestry entrepreneurs. The Committee emphasised coordinated
activities with the Department of Water Affairs and the DRDLR, as well as
training and support services for new entrants.
5.1.10 Management of
Fisheries Research and Surveillance/Patrol Vessels
The Committee engaged the Department on the management of long-term
contracts and service level agreements (SLAs) for the management of Fisheries
Vessels. The matter came under spotlight when the contract of the vessel
management service provider expired in 2011 and the Department did not have an
immediate contingency plan to ensure that research activities and the
monitoring and surveillance of fisheries resources continue without
disturbance. It was during this period that some of the old vessels such as the
Africana were found by the South African Navy to be in a state of disrepair and
needed to be replaced. The Committee was particularly concerned about the
contracting process, lack of monitoring and constant re-evaluation of the
contracts, vessel maintenance clauses within the contracts and regular spot
checks on the condition of the vessels. The Committee recommended that the
Department should initiate a process of replacing the old and ailing vessels.
5.1.11 Fishing Rights
Allocation
Small-scale and artisanal fishers have through various forms of
correspondence and in public hearings, highlighted that they were not
benefitting from the fishing rights allocation process as it favours the
commercial fishery. Where rights were allocated to small-scale fishers, they
were minimal, for a short period and were not accompanied by support programmes
to ensure that the fishers derive livelihoods and economic benefits from such
rights. The Committee engaged the Department on the subject and advocated for
the provision of support to small-scale and artisanal fishers, and the
finalisation of the Small-scale Fishing Rights Policy, which was concluded in
2012. One of the issues that was also raised was fronting and paper quotas,
where black faces or names were reportedly used by commercial companies to gain
rights without providing any benefits to those black people. The Committee
recommended that the fishing rights allocation process needs to be audited and
monitored and transgressors penalised and brought to book.
5.2 CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING COMMITTEE BRIEFINGS
·
The Committee experienced consistent challenges regarding the late
submission of briefing documents and presentations by the Department and in
some cases, the Department does not submit information that is requested by the
Committee or submits incomplete information to the Committee. This compromised
the intensity with which the Committee can engage with the subject or topic in
which they are briefed by the Department or any other entity or stakeholder.
·
Another persistent challenge, which has also
been raised by the Auditor-General (AG) is the Department’s targets in Annual
Performance Plans (APPs) that are not aligned with performance indicators and/or
strategic objectives. Inconsistent reporting and non-alignment of the Strategic
Plan with the Annual Report has also been consistently raised by the Committee;
and it is also happening in some of the Department’s entities.
5.3 PUBLIC HEARINGS
5.3.1 Transformation
in the Agricultural Sector: 17 September 2010
Transformation in the agricultural industry
in general has been seen as slow and at times, failing. Consequently, in
September 2010, the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(PC on AFF) held Public Hearings in Parliament to address the subject. During
the hearings it emerged that the black population is poorly represented in the
agricultural business; and emerging producers in South Africa were finding it
difficult to integrate into the formal supply chains and to enter the export markets
as most were not receiving the necessary assistance from the Department.
Throughout the Fourth Parliament, the
Committee has been receiving briefings from the Department and entities on
progress made towards representation of previously disadvantaged individuals
and companies in their business activities. The Committee has also been
receiving briefings from the AgriBEE Charter Council and updates on the AgriBEE
Fund, which is responsible for promoting entry and ensuring the participation
of black businesses in the entire value chain with a particular focus on equity
and enterprise development. The Committee has consistently voiced their
dissatisfaction with the administration and non-utilisation of the AgriBEE Fund
to the extent that funds have to be returned to the National Revenue Fund (NRF)
on a yearly basis. By the end of November 2013, an amount of R231 million from
the AgriBEE Fund had to be returned to the NRF because the Department failed to
effectively utilise it.
5.3.2
Transformation in the Fisheries Sector: 14-15 June 2011
The Committee received correspondence from
organisations representing workers in the fishing industry and small-scale
fishers. The Committee also received briefings from the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Department of Environmental
Affairs, which is responsible for certain sections of the former Marine and
Coastal Management Branch. Having undertaken an oversight visit to the West
Coast in 2010 and following a number of briefings from the Departments, in June
2011, the Committee held Public Hearings on transformation in the fisheries
sector. The key issues that emerged from the Public Hearings was that benefits
from fisheries still accrued to the large commercial companies that always had
an advantage and some of these even use fronting to gain certain benefits from
government (e.g. fishing rights allocation). It also emerged that where
fisheries development activities were taking place, they were only focused on
the Western Cape Province at the exclusion of the three other coastal
provinces, namely, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape. In cases
where previously disadvantaged individuals or groups received fishing rights,
it was reported that they could not use them as they did not have fishing
equipment and in most cases, to make ends meet, they were forced to “sell”
those rights to companies with equipment.
Another
issue that came out strongly from the Hearings was the absence of labour rights
including employment benefits, security and insurance for people who work on
the fishing boats at sea. Examples were given, of people who died and/or got
maimed from accidents at sea, whose families never received compensation nor in
extreme cases, informed of the death. In this regard, the Committee recommended
that the Department should engage with the Department of Labour to look into
the matter and establish a fund for the sea that is similar to the Road
Accident Fund; and develop labour-related regulations specifically for people
who work at sea. It was further proposed that there should be an engagement
with the Department of Mineral Resources to establish a fuel rebate system to
allow fishers to be refunded as they are not using roads but pay a fuel
levy.
6.
PETITIONS
The following petition
was referred to the Committee:
Title |
Submitted by |
Date referred |
Current status |
Petition requesting a ban on the import of
Dow Chemical’s GM maize variety DAS-40278-9 for food, feed and processing, as
well as a full enquiry into the decision-making process for GMO permits in
South Africa, submitted in terms of Rule 312.
|
African Centre for Biosafety |
15 August 2012 |
Considered |
7.
OVERSIGHT TRIPS
UNDERTAKEN
In addition to briefings and public hearings and to further strengthen
its legislative mandate, the Committee undertook oversight visits to various
government-funded projects in provinces and also visited some of the entities
of the Department to ensure that what was presented in Parliament was in fact
happening on the ground. Some of the oversight visits for land reform were
undertaken jointly with the Portfolio Committee on Rural Development and Land
Reform. The following oversight trips were undertaken during the Fourth
Parliament:
Date |
Area visited |
Objectives
of Oversight |
Recommendations |
01-03 February 2010 |
Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces |
To assess the implementation and impact of government-funded
farmer support programmes under the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, implementation of land reform and status of cooperatives. |
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries and the Department of Rural Development
and Land Reform should jointly present to Parliament detailed frameworks on
their respective roles in assisting
resource poor farmers and land reform beneficiaries; promoting rural
development and agrarian reform; ensuring the country’s food security; as
well as the role of the extension service in fulfilling this mandate. The KZN provincial Department of Agriculture,
Environmental Affairs and Rural Development must do an investigation into
what took place at the Phezukomkhono Cooperative farm and provide a
comprehensive audit report to Parliament and the provincial Standing
Committee. The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries should provide the Portfolio Committee with a detailed status
report on all projects (countrywide) and cooperatives that have collapsed and
those in the state of near collapse. |
28 – 29 March 2010 |
ARC Animal Production Institute, Land Bank and Grain SA in Pretoria,
Gauteng |
To conduct a site visit of the ARC’s research facilities and to witness
the challenges that have been highlighted by the ARC during its budget
briefing; and to engage the Land Bank and Grain SA on challenges facing
developing famers. |
A funding increase for the ARC as the principal agricultural research
institution in the country. The Department work collaboratively with commodity groups such as Grain
SA to manage international agreements on imports and exports. Integration of
funding instruments for farmer support. The Land Bank to further brief the Committee on the finalisation of the
fraud cases against former officials of the Bank and assistance given to land
reform beneficiaries. |
10 September 2010 |
Laingville Community, Oceana Group and Sea Harvest, West Coast, Western
Cape |
To respond to an invite from Laingville fishing community and to
determine how allocated fishing rights
were benefiting the community |
The Committee recommended that the community, through their
representatives and the Mayor’s office, must send the Committee a written
memorandum with all their challenges; and the Committee will engage the
Department on the issues and report back to the community in November 2010. The Department must look into alternative livelihood strategies for the
community members who did not receive fishing permits and those that lost
jobs in the fishing sector. |
23 – 27 January 2012 |
Jozini, Ingwavuma District, KwaZulu-Natal |
To oversee government interventions and the state of border fencing for
the control and prevention of animal movements, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
surveillance measures, other border control activities, as well as
agricultural projects in the area. |
The Department should submit to Parliament a progress report on the FMD
control measures in northern KwaZulu-Natal including the activities of the
Border Control Operational and Coordinating Committee (BCOCC) in addressing
challenges associated with border fences on the South Africa-Mozambique
border. The Department must liaise with the Department of Water Affairs
regarding water licensing for developing farmers and communities around
Jozini Dam; and report back to the Committee. The Department must submit to the Committee a Plan to revive the Cotton
Ginnery at Makhathini Flats. |
28 February – 04 March, 25 – 29 July and 02 – 05 August 2012 |
Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape Provinces. |
Joint oversight visits with the Portfolio Committee on Rural
Development and Land Reform to determine progress on land reform and to
assess the implementation of CRDP pilot projects in the different provinces. |
The Committees acknowledged that across all provinces, there was no
intergovernmental relations and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (DAFF) and the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform
(DRDLR) were not working collaboratively to assist land reform beneficiaries. The DRDLR and the Commission for the Restitution of Land Rights (CRLR)
must submit to Parliament detailed reports of restitution cases including
their statuses for all the provinces visited to clarify the reported 95% of
claims having been settled. DAFF and DRDLR should hold discussions with the Land Bank to assist
beneficiaries of the Land Reform for Agricultural Development (LRAD)
programme that are struggling to repay their Land Bank loans. DAFF and DRDLR should coordinate land reform and agricultural support
programmes towards developing an integrated strategy for rural development. The two Departments should be involved in the formulation of all
agreements for strategic partnerships and equity schemes and must establish
monitoring and evaluation (M & E) plans for these partnerships and all
other land reform support programmes. |
18-22 June 2012 |
North West (NW) Province |
To oversee the work of the NW provincial
Department of Agriculture in terms of the Agrarian Transformation pillar of
the CRDP, conditional grants projects, other agricultural projects,
irrigation schemes and agricultural training colleges or centres. |
The Department must ensure that it coordinates land reform activities
and beneficiary support with the Department of Rural Development and Land
Reform. The Department must assist land reform beneficiaries who are making use
of Taung Irrigation Scheme with marketing and other required skills. The Department must liaise with the Departments of Rural Development
and Land Reform and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to address
the challenges at Willow Park Farm Workers Project in Zeerust; and report
back to the Committee. The Department must submit a report and brief the Committee on all
strategic partnerships that involve land reform beneficiaries in the
Province. |
21 September 2012 |
South African Navy, Simon’s Town, Western Cape |
To inspect the patrol and research vessels and assess the state of
readiness for sailing the vessels. |
The Department should assist the South African Navy in sourcing and
training of personnel that is required for the research and patrol vessels to
be operational. The Department should find an amicable way of dealing with
the payment of outstanding monies owed to the South African Navy. |
26 October 2012 |
Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd in Kidds Beach, Eastern Cape |
To engage with the new Management of the entity, land redistribution
farmers and the communities surrounding the entity to gain first hand
information regarding the challenges facing the entity. |
The Department to fast track the drafting of a Turnaround Strategy for
Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd and the Strategy should include a monitoring, reporting
and evaluation framework for all the funds that have been transferred by the
Department to the entity. The Department should give a detailed report to the Committee on what
informed the funding increase to the entity that has no Board and was running
at a loss. Submit to Parliament the Forensic Audit Report on Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd
and the report on the state of the 10 leased farms (land redistribution) and
how these were allocated to farmers. |
27 November 2012 |
Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd, Eastern Cape |
Follow-up visit - having not received responses on issues raised during
previous briefings and the previous oversight visit including a reviewed
Turnaround Strategy, the Committee resolved not to consider the Annual Report
of the entity but to undertake a follow-up visit to Ncera. |
The Department must investigate and submit a report to the Committee on
the best path to follow in ensuring that all the different stakeholders in
the area of Ncera benefit from the operations of the entity and the ongoing
conflict among stakeholders is resolved. |
29 July – 02 August 2013 |
Free State Province |
To oversee progress in the implementation of the Mechanisation
Programme and development of infrastructure (fences, farm buildings, roads,
irrigation schemes, etc.) including availability of marketing infrastructure.
|
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (the Minister)
speed up the process of signing the agreement between the Chinese and South
African Governments on the Xhariep Dam Aquaculture. The Minister must facilitate intergovernmental relations to avoid
conflicting or overlapping projects among the different spheres of
government. The Department must give an update on a draft M & E plan for
conditional grants and a national M & E policy for mechanisation as
different provinces operated differently. The Department must ensure that the Free State Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development prioritises capacity building and
management training for all land reform and other project beneficiaries as
lack of governance and accountability has been identified as a challenge. The Department must monitor and evaluate shareholding, benefit sharing
and beneficiary involvement in black economic empowerment (BEE) partnership
projects on a quarterly basis. |
15 November 2013 |
Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd, Eastern Cape |
To report back to the stakeholders (management of the entity, farmers
and surrounding communities) on the outcomes of the Committee engagements
with the Department and the proposed future plans for Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd,
the entity. |
The Department and the DRDLR should hold consultation meetings or
workshops with all affected stakeholders to further explain the proposed
operational plan for the future of the entity and the land reform farmers by
the end of December 2013. |
03 – 06 February 2013 |
ARC and OBP in Pretoria, Gauteng |
To oversee progress on the development of the FMD Facility at the ARC;
the vaccine manufacturing facilities at OBP including recent upgrades; and
collaborative activities between the two entities. |
The Department must motivate for increased funding specifically for
infrastructure development and modernisation for both the ARC and OBP as they
currently operate with outdated infrastructure and equipment. Infrastructure funds will be especially needed to equip the ARC’s new
FMD Facility, whose construction is expected to be completed by July 2014,
and also for equipping and modernising the OBP’s Biotechnology Laboratory and
vaccine manufacturing facilities. The Department must motivate for the OBP, as a Government National Key
Point that also manufactures orphan vaccines for the country, to receive a
standing grant to ensure that its facilities are upgraded to improve the
capacity for the entity to meet vaccine demands not just in the country but
in the region. |
7.1 CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
DURING COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT VISITS
·
Absence of provincial senior officials and Accounting Officers to brief
the Committee and address Members’ questions has been a consistent challenge
during Committee oversight visits. The Free State and North West Province have
been the only provinces where provincial Heads of Departments (HODs)
accompanied Members on their project visits.
·
Unavailability of senior officials from one of the departments, either
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries or Rural Development and Land Reform during
joint oversights or when one of the two Committees that oversee the work of the
respective Departments is undertaking the oversight. This has been the case
even where Agriculture and Rural Development are within the same Department in
a province.
8.
OBLIGATIONS CONFERRED
ON COMMITTEE BY LEGISLATION
·
Section 5(1) of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act, 2009 (Act No. 9 of
2009) mandates and sets out the
process that allows Parliament’s National Assembly, through its Committees, to
make recommendations to the Minister of Finance to amend the budget of a
national department. As obligated by Act No. 9 of 2009, in October each year,
the Committee must submit a Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR)
to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries regarding the activities
and budget of the Department and the entities that fall under its oversight
responsibilities.
·
The Committee is also obligated by different
pieces of legislation that govern the Department’s entities to participate in
the nomination of candidates to serve in the entities’ Boards of Directors. The
following are the applicable pieces of legislation:
o
The Marketing
of Agricultural Products Acts, 1996 (Act No. 47 of 1996) requires that
Chairpersons of parliamentary Committees or their delegates be part of the
Selection Committee that is established
by the Minister for the appointment of the NAMC’s Council/Board members.
Section 4 of the Act also requires that a shortlist of nominated candidates be
sent to the parliamentary Committees for consideration; and for the Committees
to jointly recommend not less than three candidates for each of the categories
of the Council/Board membership.
o
The Agricultural
Research Act, 1990 (Act No. 86 of 1990) requires the Minister to invite
parliamentary Committees to submit to the Minister for consideration, names of
persons who comply with the criteria referred to Section 9: (2)(a), (4) and (5)
of the Act.
o
The Onderstepoort
Biological Products Incorporation Act, 1999 (Act No. 19 of 1999) requires
that a Chairperson of a parliamentary Committee on Agriculture be part of the
Selection Committee that will be established by the Minister for the
appointment of candidates that will serve in the Board of the OBP.
o
The Land and Agricultural
Development Bank Act, 2002 (Act No. 15 of 2002) requires the Minister to
invite relevant parliamentary Committees to submit to the Minister for
consideration, names of persons who are not disqualified in terms of Section 10
of the Act, to serve on the Board of the Land Bank.
8.1 Statutory
Appointments
The following
appointment processes were referred to the Committee and the resultant
statutory appointments were made:
Date |
Type of appointment |
Period of appointment |
Status of Report |
15 September 2009 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the Land Bank |
3 years |
Adopted |
20 April 2010 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the ARC |
3 years |
Adopted |
21 April 2010 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the PPECB |
5 years |
Adopted |
20 April 2011 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the
NAMC |
4 years |
Adopted |
20 April 2011 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the Land Bank |
1 year |
Adopted |
16 August 2012 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the NAMC |
3 years |
Adopted |
11 October 2012 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the Land Bank |
3 years |
Adopted |
6 February 2013 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the ARC |
3 years |
Adopted |
1 October 2013 |
List of potential candidates to serve on the Board of the
NAMC |
2 years |
Adopted |
9.
COMMITTEE
ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE FOURTH PARLIAMENT
During the Fourth Parliament, the Committee
managed, through its oversight responsibilities over the work of the Department
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to enforce intergovernmental relations
and for the Department to address the following:
·
Food Safety - the persistence of the Committee, jointly
with the Portfolio Committees on Health and Trade and Industry, in pursuing
collaborative efforts on addressing food safety and the fragmented nature of
food control authorities in the country resulted in the establishment of the
Inter-departmental Food Safety Coordinating Committee (IDFSCC), which
constitutes DAFF, DoH, the dti and NRCS. The IDFSCC is working on the
establishment of a Food Safety Agency for the country.
·
Additional funding for ARC and OBP - as a result of the Committee
consistently raising the need for additional funding for the ARC and OBP,
particularly in its budgetary and BRR recommendations, for the 2012/13 medium
term expenditure framework (MTEF) period, commencing from 2013/14
to 2015/16, the National Treasury allocated R492.4 million to the OBP for the
upgrading and modernisation of vaccine production facilities. An additional
R220 million was allocated to the ARC for the establishment of an FMD Facility
that will manufacture the FMD vaccine, which is currently imported from
Botswana.
·
Mechanisation Policy – Members of the Committee quoted cases from
their constituencies and strongly raised concerns regarding the manner in which
mechanisation equipment particularly tractors, was haphazardly distributed and
used in different provinces. In addition, the Department, which disburses the
funds and sometimes the tractors to provinces, did not have a monitoring
mechanism on how the equipment was used and whether it is going to the relevant
people. The Committee recommended that the Department must develop a National
Policy on Mechanisation with a monitoring plan to ensure uniformity and
accountability across all provinces on the distribution, use and maintenance of
mechanisation equipment. The Department has since developed a Draft
Mechanisation Policy that was to be submitted to the Ministerial Technical
Committee (MINTECH) on 27 February 2014.
·
Monitoring and
Evaluation (M & E) – the Committee recognised that most of the Department’s funding is
transferred to provinces to implement certain programmes relating to service
delivery yet, the Department in 2009 did not have an integrated M & E
system to ensure fruitful expenditure of such funds. During its restructuring
following the amalgamation of Forestry and Fisheries into Agriculture, the
Department subsequently established an M & E directorate with dedicated
personnel. However, the Committee was raised concerns regarding the absence of
a plan that guides how the M & E personnel oversee conditional grants in
particular. The Committee recommended that an M & E plan for conditional
grants be developed. The Department has since developed a Draft M & E Plan
for CASP which will further be developed into a Plan for all conditional grants.
·
Labour Permits for
Wool Shearers - the
National Wool Growers Association (NWGA) briefed the Committee on the
challenges that they were experiencing in terms of cooperation from the
different Departments that are responsible for processing working permits and other
immigration documentation for wool shearers from Lesotho during the wool
shearing season. The NWGA reported that they had to employ wool shearers from
Lesotho because the skill is scarce in South Africa, and also indicated that
although there are a few professional shearers in South Africa, most local
people are not interested in the profession. The Committee recommended that the
Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Labour and Home Affairs
should engage the NWGA to discuss the challenges that are faced by the wool
industry and how these can be solved amicably within the relevant laws and
policies of the country. It was further suggested that a Steering Committee
that constitute all the relevant stakeholders should be established.
·
Comprehensive Africa
Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) – CAADP is the programme of the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) that was launched in 2002 to accelerate
long term agricultural development and growth among African countries and to address
inequities in access to land, its resources and insecurity of tenure. While
prioritising agriculture-led growth on the continent, CAADP also recognises
that the agricultural sector growth rate in African countries does not always
follow growth in the agricultural share of the national budgets. It is in this
regard that the African Union (AU) meeting that was held in Maputo in 2003 led
to the signing of the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security to
realise the objectives of CAADP by the AU member states. Through the Maputo
Declaration, all African governments agreed to increase public investment in
the agricultural sector to a minimum of 10% of their national budgets and to
increase agricultural productivity by at least 6% by 2008. Although South
Africa is a signatory to the Maputo Declaration and houses the NEPAD
Secretariat, the Department did not follow-up on the Declaration nor
implemented CAADP in particular, until the Committee engaged the Department on
CAADP and consistently raised the matter during briefings. Eventually, the Department actively launched
the CAADP process in
October 2011 with assistance from the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) and the United
Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The Department reported
in November 2013 that the CAADP Compact for the country was ready to be signed,
but during February 2014 they reported that they had just completed
consultations with provinces on the CAADP Compact.
10.
SECTORAL CHALLENGES
EXPERIENCED BY THE COMMITTEE IN EXECUTING
ITS OVERSIGHT ROLE
10.1 The Department
·
Inability of the Department to fill vacancies at senior management
service (SMS) level impacted accountability, particularly the position of the
Director-General, who is the Accounting Officer for the Department. Lack of
continuity and various briefings that were made by different acting personnel
hindered the Committee’s ability to successfully follow-up and decisively
finalise matters that were consistently raised in Committee meetings, oversight
visits and reports. Additionally, in
some cases, the Department sent junior officials who cannot take decisions to
make presentations to the Committee.
·
The numerous and complex challenges and urgent matters that the Committee
had to address in Agriculture and Fisheries resulted in the Committee paying
minimal attention to the Forestry sector. Another challenge may be the fact
that the Committee does not have a Forestry content/research specialist in its
support team, who can consistently flag out issues in the sector.
·
Although Fisheries is now a Branch of the Department like Forestry, after
five years, it still operates as a separate entity, with its operations funded
under the Marine Living Resources Fund (MLRF) and its administration has not
been fully integrated into the Department. The Branch still has its own human
resources, legal services, finance and communication personnel. and the As
previously stated previously, and with the exception of a few months in 2013,
the Fisheries Branch has been operating under acting Deputy Director-Generals
(DDGs) since its transfer to the Department. The Committee experienced
challenges getting commitments and answers to some of their queries regarding
the administration and management of both the Branch and the MLRF, and the
Branch’s full integration into the Department.
10.2 The Entities
·
The challenges regarding the administration and management of the MLRF
are related to its role in the operations of the Fisheries Branch as previously
stated.
·
Previous failure of the Department to enforce intergovernmental relations
on research activities between the ARC’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute
(OVI) and the OBP to ensure maximum benefits from the resources that each
entity have including facilities and personnel. However, the two entities are
currently working collaboratively on research activities through the Tshwane
Animal Health Cluster, which was established and is funded by the Department of
Science and Technology’s Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).
·
Ncera Farms (Pty) Ltd was not established through an Act of Parliament
and has since 2009 been operating without a Board of Directors but a
Department’s Director or Chief Director acting as a “caretaker”. The Committee
has since 2010 been consistently sending back the entity because it has not
submitted a proper Strategic Plan or an Annual Performance Plan as required by
the National Treasury or the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
Additionally, despite the Committee not having approved the entity’s “Strategic
Plan”, which never submitted an APP, the Department continued to allocate
funding to the entity. The entity also failed to submit a well-prepared
Turn-around Strategy as was recommended by the Committee. The Committee during
its 2013/14 Budget Report recommended that the entity, which has been running
at a loss for the past 7 years and not fulfilling its primary function and
intended purpose, should be closed down. In addition, there were long-standing
conflicts among stakeholders involving the land reform farmers and the farm
dwellers that have never been addressed by the Department.
11.
SUMMARY OF
OUTSTANDING ISSUES FOR FOLLOW-UP
The following key issues are outstanding from the Committee’s activities
during the Fourth Parliament:
Responsibility |
Issue(s) |
Minister |
o
A dedicated financial grant for OBP, which
is a National Key Point that is solely responsible for the manufacturing of
animal vaccines (except the FMD vaccine).
o
Substantial funding increase for the ARC,
which is losing research expertise at an alarming rate due to competition
with the private sector and most senior research personnel going on
retirement. o
Prioritise the review of all old pieces of
legislation that negatively impact the development and transformation of the
agricultural, forestry and fisheries sectors. o
Status of the Forensic Investigation Report
on Fisheries Branch. o
Responses to the Committee recommendations
on the 2013 BRR Report – the Department has not responded to some of the
recommendations. o
Final decision regarding the future of Ncera
Farms (Pty) Ltd. o
Implementation of the 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food
Security where African governments agreed to increase public
investment in the agricultural sector to a minimum of 10% of their national
budgets and to increase agricultural productivity by at least 6% by 2008. |
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries |
o
The alignment and review of policies and
programmes across all three sectors, for example, conditional grants and food
security programmes are focused on Agriculture and to some extent, Forestry
(LandCare) but not Fisheries. o
An integrated Monitoring and Evaluation
Plan, with an implementation plan, for conditional grants that are
transferred by the Department to provinces (CASP, Illima/letsema and
LandCare). o
Finalisation of an integrated Mechanisation
Policy that includes all three sectors to monitor the mechanisation programme
to ensure consistency and accountability in provinces. o
Finalisation of the National Policy on
Extension and Advisory Services. Poor and lack of extension support has been
cited as one of the central challenges in the development of farmers. o
Filling of vacancies, particularly at senior
level, with competent and suitably qualified personnel. o
Signing of the country’s Compact for the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and its
implementation thereof. o
Up-to-date Asset Registers for the
Department and all its entities. o
Implementation Plan for the Small-scale
Fisheries Policy. o
Progress on the Aquaculture Programme that
is being
implemented throughout the country in partnership with the dti’s Aquaculture
Development and Enhancement Programme (ADEP) including a detailed
list of aquaculture and
fisheries projects that are funded by the Department. o
Progress on research that has been carried out on establishing new
fisheries (inland and marine) and aquaculture development zones. o
Policy and implementation plan for the establishment of backyard
aquaculture fish ponds. o
Outcome of the Department’s skills audit. o
Transformation in the three
sectors – the Fifth Parliament must receive regular updates including the
review and evaluation of the role that has been played by the AgriBEE Fund
and other transformation tools.
Detailed briefing of the Committee on all agricultural diseases of
economic importance and status reports on control measures for diseases that
have previously resulted in the ban of country exports. |
12.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND
KEY AREAS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE FIFTH
PARLIAMENT
·
The Fifth Parliament needs to pay particular attention to the development
of a long-term (at least 15-20 years) integrated Sector Plan that encompasses
all three sectors and the Department’s vision and mission. The Department is
currently developing a five-year Agricultural Policy Action Plan (APAP) that is
guided by the National Development Plan (NDP)’s 2030 Vision Statement and the
New Growth Path. However, agriculture, forestry and fisheries are natural
resource-based sectors and a minimum of five years in agriculture and more in
forestry and fisheries is required to realise tangible results of any policy or
programme implementation. Notwithstanding the 5-year APAP that is currently
going through the Cabinet process, there is a need for a long-term Sector Plan
that will ensure the development and growth of the sector and which must also
be aligned with the UN’s post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable
Development Goals.
·
The Department fell short of fully integrating agriculture, forestry and
fisheries sectors through policies and/or programmes and has also been very
weak in the implementation and review of existing policies. In certain
instances, the Department relied on consultants to develop new policies with no
implementation plans, e.g. the Small-scale Fisheries Policy. The Fifth Parliament needs to ensure that the
Department reviews existing policies, evaluate their implementation, determine
whether they are still applicable to current challenges and ensure that each
newly developed policy is accompanied by an implementation plan.
·
For the 2013/14 MTEF period ending in 2017/18, the Department undertook
to develop and implement the following specific policies to address challenges
in the three sectors, which the Fifth Parliament must take into consideration:
o
The Strategic Plan for Smallholder Producers, which
is a working draft document that seeks to improve
support to smallholder producers by consolidating developmental functions such
as extension, cooperatives development, marketing, mechanisation, financial
services and spatial planning to improve support to smallholder producers. The
Plan has not yet been presented to Parliament.
o
The Agro-processing
Strategic Framework for the period 2012-2016, is referred to by The
Department as an initiative to ensure the contribution of agriculture, forestry
and fisheries sectors to job creation and related government priority targets.
The Strategic Framework was also never presented to Parliament and the
Department has not reported on its implementation.
o
Spatial
Analysis of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was initiated in
2012 to identify high impact intervention areas at a national, provincial and
local level; and to further guide the implementation of the now defunct Zero
Hunger Programme and the Strategic Plan for Smallholder Producers. The Spatial
Analysis, which was said to be developed in partnership with the DRDLR, the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR), has since not been mentioned in the revised 2013
Strategic Plan of the Department and no explanation or update was given on its
status.
o
Strategic
Infrastructure Project 11 (SIP 11) that is aimed at improving investment
in infrastructure to support agricultural, forestry and fisheries production
(including aquaculture). Infrastructure development is one of the key
development areas for the medium term, it is therefore, not acceptable for the
Department not to prioritise SIP 11 given the need for agro-processing and
irrigation infrastructure to realise some of the Government Outcomes.
o Finalisation
of the development of a Strategy on
urban and peri-urban agriculture, whose purpose will be to promote best practices,
enhance the role of agriculture in urban and peri-urban livelihoods and improve
coordination and cooperation among role players. Increased rural-to-urban
migration in search of economic opportunities and increasing unemployment
throughout the country including in urban areas, has seen an increase in urban
poverty and food insecurity, which used to be confined to rural areas. Until
recently, urban and peri-urban agriculture did not receive adequate attention
in South Africa (from both government and the private sector) despite the
potential for increasing livelihood and greening options.
o Policy and programme on
inland fisheries with the focus on developing economic
opportunities around existing storage dams and rivers.
·
Committee Members in the Fourth Parliament have consistently raised
concerns regarding shortage of skills in the Department and the fact that the
inability to fill certain vacancies was also linked to the scarcity of certain
skills in the country. In this regard, the Fifth Parliament must get a briefing
on the Department’s collaborative efforts with academic institutions and its
involvement in curriculum determination to address specific skills shortages,
besides provision of bursaries. The Department needs to brief the Fifth Parliament
on the distinct role that the different academic institutions i.e.
universities, universities of technology, agricultural colleges, Further
Education and Training (FET) colleges and Sector Education and Training
Authorities (SETAs) in addressing the required skills in agriculture, forestry
and fisheries.
·
The Fifth Parliament must ensure that the Department develops a policy
instrument to ensure the replacement of the fragmented technical and financial
support to developing farmers for a comprehensive One-stop-shop Facility that
also includes Forestry and Fisheries sectors. The one-stop-shop Facility must
be able to provide training and capacity building, extension and other
technical support, different forms of mechanisation, and must meet funding
requirements for the different categories of producers/entrepreneurs across all
three sectors.
·
The Fifth Parliament must promote and enforce
intergovernmental relations for the implementation of land reform and in
addressing food self-sufficiency in the country. While certain policies may be
specific to agriculture, forestry and fisheries, in terms of food security,
there is always a necessity for coordination and collaborations with other
departments as the three sectors are also influenced to a large extent, by
environmental, economic, social (e.g. poverty) and cultural factors. For this
reason, intergovernmental relations (IGR) and public-private partnerships
cannot be stressed enough. The Fifth Parliament needs to be briefed on the new
Food Security and Nutrition Policy that was adopted in September 2013 to ensure
that IGR principles are applied in its implementation. Besides food security or the agricultural
sector, some of the challenges in forestry are also associated to lack of IGR,
where plantation owners including land reform beneficiaries struggle to get
water licences.
·
As previously indicated lack of IGR is the biggest challenge in land
reform and impedes progress in certain areas. However, some of the issues that
need particular attention is the mentorship and strategic partnership
programmes of the Department and the DRDLR. During oversight visits, in most
projects, these programmes were found to be benefitting previous owners instead
of developing land reform beneficiaries, and departments spent large sums of
money on these programmes.
·
The Fourth Parliament held discussions with government departments and
the biotechnology industry and also considered a petition from a civil society
organisation on genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). Given the contentious
nature and the different views that have been presented on the subject matter,
the Committee recommended that the Fifth Parliament should consider holding
extensive public hearings on GMOs including the implementation and application
of legislation that regulates GMOs.
·
The Fifth Parliament must be briefed on Game Farming as well as Game and
Livestock Auctioneering Businesses including policies and/or legislation that
regulate these industries.
·
The Fifth Parliament must ensure that the Department fills critical and
senior management vacancies as a matter of urgency and also addresses the
challenges that are associated with filling of vacancies, e.g. lack of certain
skills in the country and the protracted vetting process.
·
The Fifth Parliament must engage the Ministries of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries and Finance to ensure that a mechanism is put in
place that will enable the Committee to conduct oversight on Land Bank as their
day-to-day activities impact on agriculture.
·
The Fifth Parliament must also ensure that the Department collaborates
with the Department of Labour to establish a Fisheries sector fund that is
similar to the Road Accident Fund for people who work and get injured at sea.