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CHAPTER 4
DIE LANDMAN
OF
FEBRUARY 1974 EVEN
CARRIED AN ARTICLE
THAT EVERY DELEGATE
ATTENDING SAMPI’S
ANNUAL CONGRESS
ON 6 AND 7 FEBRUARY
1974 WOULD RECEIVE
A COMMEMORATIVE
MEDALLION BECAUSE
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE
SAMPI’S LAST ANNUAL
CONGRESS IN ITS
EXISTING FORMAT.
difference between SAMPI and the SAAU that ultimately led to many consulta-
tions and attempts by various parties to mediate unity between these two parties
amounting to nothing.
Under the guidance of Minister Schoeman intensive negotiations between SAMPI
and the SAAU commenced in January 1973. Although major differences often
had to be overcome, a reasonable degree of agreement on the process and the
future path of co-operation was reached over time, and the constitution of a
specialist organisation was even finalised.
Minister Schoeman said the following at the Annual Congress of the Maize Industry
Association of the FSAU in 1974: ‘I predict that our maize producers will be joined
in one of the most vibrant and best organised agricultural associations before the
end of the year…I have no doubt that such an organisation will come.’ He added:
‘Nobody dare thwart this, because our maize producers can no longer afford the
strife and fighting of the past eight years.’
At that stage, SAMPI and the SAAU had already agreed on a date for the founding
Congress of a new organisation. At SAMPI’s Congress in February 1974 Mr Andries
Beyers, Chairperson of Uniegraan and one of the negotiators on the side of the
SAAU, even said: ‘We have found each other and will never let go again.’
Yet, on 27 April 1974 the SAAU indicated that its general council would only meet
on 8 and 9 August 1974 to ratify their views on the new organisation. This meant
that the entire process would be delayed and the founding Congress could not
take place on the agreed date, namely between 1 and 10 October 1974.
At its meeting in August 1974 the SAAU’s general council in various respects de-
viated from matters already agreed upon and set further conditions to be complied
with before the founding process could continue. It became clear to SAMPI that
the SAAU did not intend supporting an independent organisation – something that
was not negotiable to SAMPI.
On 15 October 1975 the SAAU announced at a meeting of the negotiation committee
that it was abandoning the attempt to establish a new maize organisation. The SAAU
alleged unilaterally that at least 8 000 qualifying members had to register for member-
ship of the new organisation in order for it to be representative of the maize producers.
SAMPI subsequently made several further attempts at salvaging the negotiations,
but without success. Consequently SAMPI informed the SAAU on 6 February 1976
that the SAAU’s repudiation of the agreement had been accepted and that SAMPI
was withdrawing completely from the agreement.
Establishment of SAMSO
Shortly afterwards the SAAU decided to amend its strategy by doing away with
the maize committees and establishing a maize specialist organisation known as
the South African Maize Specialist Organisation, or SAMSO. It would not be an
independent producer organisation, but would function as an integral part of the
SAAU. SAMSO was therefore in the same constitutional position as the maize
committees, which could effectively be viewed as merely a conversion of the
maize committees.
At the SAAU’s Annual Congress of 1976 approval for the founding of SAMSO was
granted and a planning committee was appointed to manage the transition of the
National Maize Committee to SAMSO. The maize-producing region was divided
into 18 sub-regions on the basis of average production figures over the previous
five years. A pilot committee was appointed for each region and tasked with con-
vening meetings in order to inform producers about SAMSO and recruit members
for the organisation.
An interim executive on which the Chairpersons of the planning committee and
the pilot committee served, was constituted. At the first executive meeting, held
on 2 November 1976 in Pretoria, Mr Ben Wilkens was elected as Chairperson and
it was decided that SAMSO’s first Congress would be held in Potchefstroom on
8 and 9 March 1977.