15 / 37
ႃႇ
CHAPTER 2
MINISTER GREYLING WENTZEL’S
AGREEMENT TO APPOINT NAMPO MEMBERS
TO THE MAIZE BOARD AGAIN DEVELOPED
INTO A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME, AS NAMPO
HAD TO NOMINATE TWO PERSONS FOR
EACH POSITION AND THE MINISTER THEN
DECIDED WHICH ONE OF THE TWO HE
WOULD APPOINT. NAMPO NOMINATED THE
PERSONS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY RESIGNED
FROM THE BOARD AS THEIR FIRST CHOICE,
BUT THE MINISTER APPOINTED THE OTHER
PERSONS (WHO WERE LIGHTLY REFERRED
TO AS THE TACKIE TEAM IN NAMPO RANKS).
AT THE NEXT NOMINATION PROCESS THE
SAME THING ALMOST HAPPENED AGAIN.
THIS PLACED ONE OF THE MEMBERS,
MR HENNIE DE JAGER, IN A DIFFICULT
POSITION, AS HE WAS AT THE SAME TIME
CHAIRPERSON OF THE MAIZE BOARD
AND OF NAMPO. TO RESOLVE THIS THEY
ARRANGE FOR MR DE JAGER TO SERVE
AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE MAIZE BOARD
AND VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF NAMPO,
WHILE MR BOETIE VILJOEN WOULD SERVE
AS CHAIRPERSON OF NAMPO AND VICE-
CHAIRPERSON OF THE MAIZE BOARD.
difference between the Maize Board’s operating costs and the proceeds on sales.
This was probably the first clear policy change on the road to deregulation, which
would become reality with the commencement of the Marketing of Agricultural
Products Act of 1996.
When the producer price was determined in the new dispensation the Maize Board
had to take the expected domestic demand and supply into account, together with
the costs and proceeds of maize exports. The producer price was obtained by
dividing the net proceeds of the crop by the expected supply. All the maize was
pooled and producers received an initial (advance) price. If any surpluses realised,
they were paid out to the producers by way of intermediate and final payments.
All interest groups (like the millers, feed processors and other consumer groups)
were involved in the pricing process. The price that was set after the meetings was
submitted to the Agricultural Marketing Council, which made a recommendation to
the Minister of Agriculture, who approved and announced the final price.
Sound bite: There was always time for a bit
of humour. The young men had to see to
the fixing of the latest maize price while the
ringleaders were on an overseas study tour
– Mr Vic Mouton.
