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CHAPTER 4
SAMPI’S INSISTENCE ON A
SPECIALIST ORGANISATION
WITHIN ORGANISED
AGRICULTURE WAS
NOT A NEW CONCEPT
IN SOUTH AFRICAN
ORGANISED AGRICULTURE,
AS THE KWV AND THE
WOOL BOARD WERE
ALREADY FUNCTIONING
IN THAT CAPACITY
BY THEN. HOWEVER,
SAMPI SUPPORTERS
POINT OUT THAT THE
BROEDERBOND HAD
PLAYED AN IMPORTANT
ROLE IN ESTABLISHING
THOSE ORGANISATIONS,
WHILE THE AFRIKANER
BROEDERBOND OPPOSED
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
SIMILAR ORGANISATION
FOR THE MAIZE INDUSTRY.
association that would represent the interests of all the maize producers in South
Africa. It was also decided that, after it had been established, the new association
would apply for membership of the SAAU.
An action committee chaired by Delport, with Ferreira as Vice-chairperson and Nel
as secretary, was elected to launch the action. The action committee’s activities
culminated in a meeting on 22 April 1966 in Klerksdorp, where delegates from
62 districts were present. At that meeting the establishment of the South African
Maize Producers’ Institute (SAMPI) was approved.
SAMPI was in favour of a maize specialist organisation that had to form part of
organised agriculture in South Africa and therefore had to be affiliated with the
SAAU. SAMPI’s objective was to establish a structure that would ultimately lead to
the producer members of the Maize Board comprising bona fide maize producers.
SAMPI was established on the basis of the following four ideals:
• That it would be a fully autonomous specialist organisation
• That it would be a national organisation, without separation along provincial
borders
• That representation in Congress would be determined on a production basis
• That it would have its own head office and staff
SAMPI’s head office was established in Bothaville in an office that Von Abo made
available to the organisation. The office was officially opened on 1 July 1966.
Delport was elected as the first Chairperson of SAMPI. Initially he did not make
himself available for election for personal reasons, but eventually he was persuaded
to do so by the other producers who were involved in the launching of SAMPI.
SAMPI’s struggle for recognition and the self-determination of maize producers
allowed unique leaders to step forward. Mr Giel van Zyl was employed by NAMPO
from 1983, was the General Manager of NAMPO from 1992 until the establishment of
Grain SA, and then Grain SA’s General Manager until he retired in 2001. He recount-
ed that the leaders pursued the objectives of SAMPI and later also of NAMPO with
particular purposefulness and in a very disciplinedmanner. He ascribed a large part of
their success to the special feeling of cohesion among the members of the Executive
in their attempts to serve the cause of producers.
Dr Willem Kotze was appointed as the first director of SAMPI and was responsible
for managing the organisation, subject to the decisions and orders of the manage-
ment committee, the Executive and Congress.
SAMPI’s first Executive for the year 1966 - 1967.
The first management committee members
of SAMPI included (from the left): Messrs
Hennie Delport, Giep Nel, Fanie Ferreira and
Crawford von Abo. This photo was taken on
6 June 1987.