Small-scale farmers still at war over government support

The impasse between livestock farmers and the Democratic Alliance-governed Kouga municipality in the Eastern Cape, over allegations that white commercial farmers receive better local government support compared to emerging black farmers, seems to be far from over.

According to Siyabonga Modikoe, spokesperson for the livestock small-scale farmers, whose group recently marched to the local municipality to present their grievances, emerging farmers have now referred their plight to the African National Congress-led provincial government for intervention.

Among some of their grievances, small-scale farmers demand:

• An end to discrimination against poor farmers who do not receive assistance in drought relief funds allocated by the National Treasury.

• An end to the municipality’s Local Economic Development (LED) funds being rolled over to a new financial year, despite black farmers making submissions to the municipality for assistance with farming needs.

• Closure of the pound, which practices racism on the impounding of livestock, with only the livestock of black emerging farmers being confiscated.

• Access to a common land for livestock grazing.

• Agricultural support and infrastructure to be provided for piggeries.

“We have raised these issues since 2016 and the municipality is not taking us seriously. In fact, they want to kill black farming in the area – a reason why we have now taken up the matter with the provincial government,” said Modikoe.

In his response, Kouga municipal councillor Frances Baxter, responsible for the LED, disputed as “untrue” claims that the municipality discriminated against emerging black farmers.

“The drought relief funding which the municipality received was for the drilling of boreholes, implementation of water conservation and for demand management projects,” Baxter said.

“For example, replacing old pipelines and repairing leaks in the homes of previously disadvantaged citizens is part of what we did with the funds. “The grant was given to the municipality so that it could increase the domestic water supply to all Kouga residents.

“It was not for commercial or small-scale farmers.”

He said LED funding received through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant was meant for “the development of food and craft markets at Hankey and Jeffreys Bay”.

“The municipality can unfortunately, not use this money for purposes other than what it was allocated for. Claims of a racially motivated impounding of livestock are also untrue.”

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