John Steenhuisen (Photo: John Steenhuisen/Facebook)
The FF Plus believes that John Steenhuisen’s removal as Minister of Agriculture did not come as a surprise. As far as the party is concerned, the situation surrounding foot and mouth has obviously become untenable.
“The big question now is to what extent it will improve,” said Dr. Wynand Boshoff, FF Plus MP and the party’s chief spokesperson for agriculture, said on Wednesday about the news that Steenhuisen will be replaced by Willie Aucamp as minister of agriculture.
The FF Plus appears to be optimistic about the new appointment.
“Aucamp has a stronger background in agriculture and previously served on the parliament’s portfolio committee for agriculture.
“However, what troubled Steenhuisen was not primarily his lack of agricultural knowledge, but his inability to tame his department’s centralizing instincts,” says Boshoff.
“When he had to reduce the state’s role in favor of the private sector, he did the opposite under the guidance of senior officials.
“If a minister supports his incompetent department in their attempt to maintain sole control over a disaster, contrary to his own previous policy statements, his cap has been blown.”
Boshoff says this is the test that now awaits Aucamp.
“The question on which the entire agricultural sector is holding its breath is therefore whether Minister Willie Aucamp is going to bring his department under control or whether it is going to be swallowed up by it.”
Willie Aucamp and Geordin Hill-Lewis. (Photo: Willie Aucamp/Facebook)
AfriForum is also optimistic about Aucamp
AfriForum is also optimistic about Aucamp’s appointment as Minister of Agriculture.
Lambert de Klerk, manager of environmental affairs at AfriForum, labels this as a positive move to resolve the foot-and-mouth crisis “which has so far been poorly managed” and achieve real solutions for the agricultural sector.
“Serious mistakes were made at a time when this department had to look after farmers’ interests.
However, Aucamp now has the opportunity to pull the chestnuts out of the fire. He must now counter the state’s unsuccessful centralist approach in particular in dealing with the foot-and-mouth crisis and encourage and achieve the devolution of responsibilities to farmers themselves,” explains De Klerk.
The civil rights organization maintains that a strengthened approach to foot-and-mouth disease must now be prioritized.
Willie Aucamp (Photo: Willie Aucamp/Facebook)
“Aucamp must ensure that farmers – with the necessary monitoring by the department – are allowed to purchase and administer vaccine themselves. The department must also ensure that enough vaccine is imported, so that all animals can be given the required doses to prevent re-spreading of the disease.
“In addition to the immediate need for strong action in the midst of the current crisis, Aucamp’s department should also prioritize the following: the rebuilding and expansion of local vaccine manufacturing capacity and the substantive strengthening of state veterinary services to ensure, among other things, effective disease control.”
According to De Klerk, AfriForum also took note of the other changes that Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA’s federal leader, made to the DA’s cabinet caucus.
“(We) trust that these fluctuations will be beneficial for all citizens.”