SA Graan Maart 2015

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Maart 2015
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I invest in agriculture because
I want to lead from the front
The honourable minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisher-
ies, Mr Senzeni Zokwana (59), dedicated time in his busy
schedule to answer questions put to him by the SA Graan/
Grain editorial team. Here he speaks openheartedly about
the fact that for him, farming is a way of life; how he sees the way
forward for farming in our country, and the fact that he wants to be
remembered as an agricultural activist.
Tell us more about growing up in the Eastern Cape?
Like all boys in the rural villages I grew up looking after family live-
stock. Children growing up in rural villages and homesteads par-
ticipate in the planting, ploughing and harvesting of maize which is
the staple food for many rural households.
I attended Nquthurha Primary School, then Cwicwini Junior Second-
ary School and finally finished my basic education at Ezizweni Sec-
ondary School at Nqamakwe in the Eastern Cape.
Are you a family man?
Yes, I am married and have six children, three boys and three daugh-
ters. I do not have grandchildren yet, but I am blessed to see my
children grow up.
What is your motto in life?
“Live and let live,” South Africans have achieved a lot more under
peaceful existence than all the years of strife we endured. I believe
there is always a better way of doing or achieving something and
still being civil about things.
Give three words to best describe your character.
Patience; attentiveness; resilience.
Do you cultivate crops or livestock?
I do not identify myself as a farmer, nor do I communicate that
about my homestead. I am merely continuing the legacy given to
me by my father, and his father before him. We have always been
a people of production and land tenure; this is the legacy I want to
leave my children. The land is to be worked and is a valuable source
in feeding the people of South Africa.
I have 45 goats, 120 sheep and 34 cattle; I also cultivate maize,
potatoes and other vegetables; all for family consumption and help-
ing my community when the need arises.
What makes farming special for you? Why did you decide to in-
vest in agriculture?
Farming is a way of life, not necessarily a career choice, though
many commercial farmers contribute valuably to feeding the coun-
try. I farm because I grew up in a rural setting where one grew his
own food, meat came from livestock, and we hardly bought food.
Times have changed and almost everything these days can be out-
sourced, this has brought a challenge of not getting enough young
people being interested in farming, commercially or otherwise. I in-
vest in agriculture because I want to lead from the front and work
the land; I am in solidarity with farmers when drought hits, certain
diseased that attack livestock and various other factors that affect
the industry, a minister that farms is a minister that understands.
After almost nine months in office as minister, what is your view
on how South African agriculture features compared to First
World countries in general?
South African agriculture contains mostly three features:
1. Commercial producers: This sector of the industry contains highly
mechanised means of production, large area of land(s) used to
cultivate and/or keep livestock.
2. Smallholder farmers: This a hugely mushrooming part of the
RELEVANT
JOHAN SMIT, SA Graan/Grain editorial team
FACT FILE
Place of birth: Eastern Cape
Date of birth: 04 March 1956
Current Positions
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with effect
from 26 May 2014.
Chairperson of the South African Communist Party and
a Member of Parliament.
Career/memberships/other activities
Hepreviously served as thepresident of theNational Union
of Mineworkers (NUM). He became involved in trade union
activism in 1980 during the apartheid-era in South Africa
at the President Steyn gold mine in the Free State. He
joined the ranks of NUM in 1983, became a shaft steward
in 1984 and was elected to the branch executive commit-
tee at the President Steyn mine in 1985.
He subsequently moved up the ranks to become branch
chairperson in 1987, vice regional chairperson in 1992
and regional chairperson from 1993 to 1994. He was first
a shift overseer on safety matters and in 1995, he joined
the NUM staff as a safety officer, after proving himself a
dedicated advocate of modern mine safety techniques.
Zokwana was elected as vice-president in 1994; a position
he held until 2000 when he was elected president. He was
subsequently re-elected for the role and held the position
until 2014.
In 2005, he was elected as president of the Internation-
al Chemical, Energy and Mine Workers’ Federation at a
special election and was re-elected in November 2011.
Zokwana was also elected as vice-president of the
Industrial Global Union at its founding congress on
19 June 2012.
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Profile: Minister Senzeni Zokwana
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