5
May2014
What canwe expect
after the election?
t
he other day I was considering with
what I had been occupying most
of my time these last six months. I
wanted to establish if I was still fo-
cusingon the right issues andwhere
I delivered inputs to promote the
best interests of thegrainproducer?
After Grain SA’s Congress the elected lead-
ershipwill again have to take time out to sit
under a tree to contemplate the road ahead.
Wheredowehave tomakeadjustmentsand
where do we have to break new ground to
ensure crops for our children in the future?
Whilst politiciansarebusywith thecanvass-
ing for votes (and spendingmoney) theoffi-
cialsarescurrying. Somearemortallyafraid
to make decisions because they might just
lose their jobs should they now make a
wrong decision, but then there are those
who are creating absolute chaos to score
points so that they might be promoted. It
seems as if theyare just brimmingwithcon-
fidence and have become so irrational that
they are destroying bridges as if there will
never be a dayof tomorrow. How sad!
After 20 years, our young democracy has
a new culture and a new understanding of
what democracy means, but we also have
an infrastructure which is crumbling and
tottering (to zero) services by local govern-
ments. The list of problems and decay is
very extensive, but like my now departed
mother said: “A negotiated democracy is
still better than a civil war.”Wemust there-
fore rather compare our current situation
with aMozambique or Angola thanwith the
newSouthAfrica.
Aconcept sticking inmymind iswhat some-
one the other day said in passing: That it is
time for the country tomove on to the real
South Africa. The old South Africa was not
acceptable, but the newSouthAfrica is cer-
tainly alsonot acceptable. It is time tobegin
workingon the real SouthAfrica.
Where reasonableness, rationality and fair-
ness are thenorms and values.We are tired
of corruption, inefficiency and weak excus-
es. I suspect that the result of the election
will indeed cause a shift in policy. Which
way, wedonot know yet.
The whole issue of land reform will defi-
nitely be brought to a head in the next four
years. This was already clear before the
election campaigns kicked off. The solution
to the problem, however, does not only lie
at the government’s door and the time is
longpastwherewecan just criticisewithout
coming upwith suggestions ourselves. The
fear of food shortages or high food prices
can lead to interference in themarket by the
new administration.
In the process of working towards the
real South Africa a number of things still
have to happen where Grain SA launches
private initiatives tomake thingswork. I also
see our black commercial grain producers
having toplay a larger role inour leadership
to improve the agricultural environment.
The financing of production on communal
lands is definitely a huge challenge which
must be sorted out among the role-players.
During the Grain SA Congress it was men-
tioned that someof ourneighbouringAfrican
countries had already progressed further
with this than we have. The new South
Africa is busy falling behind in attracting
new investments in agriculture. The risk for
new investments inSouthAfrica and the risk
profile of the rest of Africa is narrowing. It is
definitelygoing to influence investors.
I am thus dreaming of a real South Africa
after the election where food security has
such a high priority that land reform will
be finalised in a rational manner and that
the agricultural policy will be implemented
efficiently to the advantage of all in the
country.
JANNIEDEVILLIERS
FEES
Paas-
Lees Luk 22:10 en 11
m
y kop raas vandag. Dit is die dag voor Paasfees en
ek vang goed aan wat ekself nie verstaan nie. Ek en
my gesin is genooi om saammet die hooggeplaaste
Rabbi Gananja die Paasfees te gaan eet, maar ek gee
links en regs opdragte om die bovertrek skoon te
maak en reg te kry asof ons self gaste gaan ontvang. Die spanning
in my huis bereik ‘n hoogtepunt toe ek geen slaaf of vrou kon kry
om te gaan water haal nie en ek my geliefde seun, Misael, moes
stuur. Sommer met ‘n kruik nogal. Watter skande het ek hom nie
aangedoennie?
Alwat leef enbeef is inJerusalemomPaasfees tekomvier.Diestrate
is vol vreemdemense endandwing ek inmy deurmekaar statusmy
seunomdiewerk van ‘n slaaf of vrou tedoen.Watmoes hydink? Ek
kon nie eers sy vraag antwoord vir wie ek die bovertrek voorberei
nie. Hy het immers self die boodskap vir Rabbi Gananja gevat om
te bevestig dat ons die Paasfees daar kom vier. “Here, wat gaan aan
metmy, waarom is ek so seker ekmoetmy bovertrek voorbereimet
Paaslam en al?” Ek het nie sommer net wynuitgesit nie. Dit was van
twee jaar gelede sebestes toemyoes somooi was.
As nogéén vanmyhuismensegaan vrawaaromek ‘nPaasmaal hier
inmybovertrekvoorberei, gaanek skreeu!Waar komekdaaraanom
selfs 13plekke voor teberei?Dit gaanmy verstand tebowe. Aandie
een kant klink allesmal, maar aan die ander kant is ek so seker oor
alleswat ek presiesmoet doen.
Hierdie Paasfees is so anders as al die ander wat ons gevier het.
Hier is sobaieoproer onder diemense. Partyhet geen respek vir die
gewydheidwaarmee ons dit vier nie en is net daarop uit om geld te
maakendieJodeuit tebuit. Dieonrustigheid inJerusalemgeeaf op
al die geestelike leiers asof daar iets aandie broei is. “Here, kanons
niemaar gespaar wees en rustig Paasfees vier soos U dit voorskryf
nie?” Ek wil so graag hê oom Asarja moet weer vir my kinders en
kleinkinders die oorspronklike storie van die uittog uit Egipte vertel.
DiewonderwatGodvoorsienhet indievormvan ‘nPaaslamwat die
Jode vandiedoodgeredhet.
Waar blyMisael? Het hy nie dalk die kruikmet diewater vir iemand
anders gegee om homself die vernedering te spaar nie?Wat hetmy
togbesiel omdie kind so te verneder?
Metdie rumoerbydievoordeurmaakmydeurmekaardaguiteindelik
sin.Dit isPetrusenJohannes, tweevanJesus sedissipels,wat saam
met Misael met die waterkruik op die skouer babbelend instap en
toe namy opkyk en sê: “Ons Leermeester vra u: Waar is die kamer
waar Ek met my dissipels die Paasmaaltyd kan eet?” Ek glimlag en
vol bewondering virmyHeer, neem ek hulledie trapop.
