The South African Farmers Development Association (Safda) believes its incorporation as a permanent member of the national sugar association is a strong foundation for a future generation of black small-scale farmers to build on.
This follows the recognition of the organisation as a permanent member of the South African Sugar Association (Sasa), which represents the sector in terms of the Sugar Act.
Safda was promulgated in a government gazette by trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel as a third member of Sasa in March — joining the South African Cane Growers Association (Sacga) and the South African Sugar Millers’ Association (Sasma), which had been the only members since Sasa’s establishment.
“It’s a historic day for the black farmer to have a say in the sugar industry. That didn’t happen before, even when it did it was on a temporary basis but now it’s permanent. It means we can put our challenges on the table where the sugar industry matters are discussed,” said Dr Siyabonga Madlala, Safda chairperson.
It’s been years of struggle but now we can embrace this industry as our own. We must take this to heart and continue to fight for the struggle of black rural development
— Dr Siyabonga Madlala, Safda chair
“I’m out of words. You can’t see what is in my heart for giving us this permanent recognition. It’s a legacy that will outlive us, a foundation that the next generations of black farmers will build from.”
Madlala was speaking during a ceremonial handover of the gazette to Safda by Patel and Thoko Didiza, the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, at Sasa’s Kwashukela training centre in Mount Edgecombe in KwaZulu-Natal, last week.
He said it was “symbolic” that the celebration took place at that venue because they had previously been barred from accessing it and were viewed as “terrorists”.
“It’s been years of struggle but now we can embrace this industry as our own. We must take this to heart and continue to fight for the struggle of black rural development. The industry embraced us through the intervention of the portfolio committee but we were more on a temporary basis, not knowing what would happen at the end of the term.”
Sasa chairperson Fay Mukaddam said Safda was a welcome addition to the industry.
“I want to welcome you warmly into our home, which is also your home. A home where all the seats at the dining room table are now filled by our three member associations equally, and in that regard we formally welcome Safda to the table.”
Mukaddam also lauded the co-operation of all parties involved throughout the transitional arrangements: Safda for its active participation in every step and embracing the other members of the industry, the other two members for supporting Safda from the beginning and Sasa management for providing the necessary guidance throughout the whole journey.
Didiza said the significance of this recognition was that small-scale farmers represented by Safda would now benefit in terms of development, access to infrastructure and sugar research.
She said this occasion also went a long way towards correcting the injustices of the past in the industry.
“What we have been doing today is symbolism. It’s ensuring that as part of transformation in our country, a sector of the industry that was historically excluded in terms of law is now part and parcel of that legislation,” she said.
“So the concerns, voices and the engagements that the small-scale farmers would want to put on the table, they will now be able to do so.”
Patel said the future of the sugar industry was riddled with “enormous and complex” challenges and the three member organisations could ensure the interests of those they represent are taken into account when the industry develops its future.
He said this was a “vital step” for small-scale sugar growers, listing three advantages for them.
“It’s about how to discuss and work through the future of the industry, it’s about the financial arrangement in the industry. At the moment sugar farmers get support that’s worth about R200m a year but it’s also about the voice of small-scale sugar farmers coming out in the dialogue between the government and the industry.”
Madlala said they have already tasted how this relationship can give farmers access to government and industry support.
“The department was very kind to assist us with fertiliser when the prices of fertiliser tripled. Tomorrow, we will be seeing some disaster management equipment because we keep experiencing floods. We will be getting graders and TLBs to help the farmers when the winter season starts to open their roads.”
He said they now access to what they had worked hard for but it was time to work even harder.
“If we fail now we would have failed by ourselves. Even the sky is not the limit now, we can rise above it too now. Let’s continue proving that farming is not a failed career.”
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