Land Affairs, Lulama Xingwana (MP)
2 August 2007
Youth Summit on Agrarian and Land Reform
Programme Director, Luvuyo Mabombo,
Director-General, Masiphula Mbongwa,
CEO of Umsobomvu Youth Fund, M Malose Kekana
CEO of the NAMC, M Ronald Ramabulana,
Departmental officials,
The Guests of Honour,
Our youth
Ladies and Gentlemen: The theme for the 2007 Youth Summit in Agrarian and
Land Reform is: 'Agriculture - A thousand opportunities'. This theme is
complimented by the famous quote of the late chairman of the China Communist
Party, Mao Zedong when he says: "Let a hundred flowers bloom."
Quite correctly so: let these opportunities come out, let them flourish, let
these opportunities open up in order for our people to prosper and live a
better life.
In this hurly burly 20th century it is almost nearly impossible for people
to gather in one place such as this. Even families find it difficult to spend
quality time together as the children are away at school, the father is
somewhere trying to make a living, in some instances the mother is also a
migrant worker while relatives are scattered all over the different parts of
the country and even the world.
Programme Director, it is therefore a real pleasure for this mother to
finally meet her children in this fashion. This gathering is long overdue. For
my girls, do not forget that this gathering is taking place during the month of
August, which is Women's Month. This month we remember our mothers, grannies,
great grannies and great-great grannies who in their thousands on 9 August 1956
took part in a protest march to the Union Buildings to petition the Apartheid
authorities. The march was part of a broader defiance campaign against the pass
laws that started with the 1913 march in Welkom and the 1919 march in
Bloemfontein.
The historic march redefined the role of women in the South African struggle
for freedom and democracy. For the past 14 years, 9 August, now known as
Women's Day, has been remembered as a significant achievement in the fight
against what the United Nations described as a crime against humanity. South
Africans have since celebrated the country's achievements in the area of
women's development and have demonstrated its commitment towards the struggle
for the total emancipation of South African women.
Fourteen years into our democracy, South Africans continue to appreciate and
celebrate the contribution of women in the social, economic and political
development of society. Women's Day 2007 will be celebrated in the context of
mobilising all South Africans around mutual developmental goals and challenges
facing women and girls.
We in the Ministry for Agriculture and Land Affairs also started along this
path last year when we launched the Women in Agriculture and Rural Development
(Ward), commonly known as Ward. What we now need to do to enhance or
consolidate ward, we thought it would make sense to launch the Youth in
Agriculture and Rural Development (Yard), today. The rationale behind the
launching of yard is informed by the fact that if you look at the crop of both
our current male and female farmers, you will most certainly find that they are
all in their twilight years.
Yard must be committed to promoting the development of youth in agriculture
as the main engine of economic growth in rural and peri-urban communities
through an efficient and sustainable service which will enhance and improve the
quality of life in the rural areas.
The Ministry has plans to declare 19 June on our calendar year as a day in
which our youth in the country will come together in the name of agrarian and
land reform to review their programmes in relation to the sector.
This Summit will provide a creative environment in which you will be able to
learn and share experiences and strategies on working towards building an
effective way of dealing with your development and strengthening one
another.
If this Sector is to survive and be sustainable and if this nation is to
continue feeding itself, we have no choice but to inject new blood in the
sector. However, for this transfusion to take place, our youth need to show
interest and commitment to join the sector as farmers, agro-processors,
agribusiness men, economists, engineers, scientists, land surveyors, town
planners, veterinary doctors, etc.
This is what this Youth Summit is all about. During this Summit, you will be
exposed to different programmes this Ministry has to offer. These will range
from entrepreneurship, market access, funding and financing to careers in
agriculture. All these spheres have their Makhulu-Baas who will take you
through the paces.
Remember some of you present here are already studying towards a
qualification in something or other in agriculture. To you I say, after this
Summit, go out and preach this agricultural gospel to the uninitiated. Go and
be our ambassadors to attract others to this sector.
Forget the image of a burley sunburned white guy on a tractor. Rather see
yourself one day in the future being a tomato baron or wine baroness, a king or
queen of mutton producers, a honey or chocolate producer or anything that
tickles your fancy.
Forget about looking for a job in some fancy offices where you will end up
pushing paper ad nauseam. Rather dream of becoming an entrepreneur in your own
right, your own boss, a creator of jobs and someone who contributes
meaningfully to the country's Gross Domestic Product. All this is possible if
we are all committed. It is possible if we work together, if we forge
partnerships with formations such as the Umsobombvu Youth Fund, the Youth
Commission, agricultural unions and other stakeholders.
Ladies and Gentlemen: if indeed we work together instead of the silos we
have created, meeting the Millennium Development Goals will be a walk in the
park. Through this Youth Summit, we will endeavour to:
* promote and develop excellence in Agriculture among you our youth and to
create an awareness of the need to improve agricultural productions in order to
ensure food security and economic stability of the country,
* exchange information on the best practices in community and rural development
initiatives led by you our youth,
* connect young community leaders across the country to enhance their
leadership, entrepreneurship and community development skills,
* build a foundation for a knowledgeable and inclusive national network of
young rural leaders,
* seek development solutions that are sustainable for rural youth villages and
communities,
* promote economic equity for you and increase awareness about the negative
impact of globalisation on you, your families, communities and the
environment,
* advocate for equal participation and representation in decision making in
agriculture and rural development.
Again I implore you to forget about migrating to the urban areas. In the
first place these are areas of poverty and are overcrowded. There are no jobs.
That is the reason why towards the end of last year, the Ministry for
Agriculture and Land Affairs started a programme called Illima/Letsema. Ka
Setswana rare khumo e tswa tshimong. This programme provides that people should
plough their fields with a view of producing fruits and vegetables in order to
feed their families.
With these few words I would like to thank you very much and now declare the
National Structure of Yard Entrepreneurial Networking Forum officially launched
today.
Issued by: Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs
2 August 2007
