ANDRICUS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN: Locust plague is further proof of a government missing in action

A locust plague that hit the Karoo in 2022 and continued to be a problem well into 2023, provides us with a clear picture of a government in crisis. Plague events of this scale are the responsibility of the national department of agriculture, land reform & rural development. It must take steps to address the plague and minimise the effects thereof on farmers and food production.

It was therefore disappointing to hear the story of one service provider who helped combat the swarm on the ground on a recent visit to the Beaufort West area. His story is filled with failure after failure of the national department. Remember, these are rural areas, where communities are highly reliant on agriculture for income and where the plague had the potential to devastate this capability. One would thus expect the department to act with urgency. Sadly, that wasn’t what transpired.

The chosen method to eradicate the plague was to spray pesticides. Here we encounter the first problem; the department was unable to provide enough pesticide within the relevant time frame, severely hampering efforts to address the problem. This is unequivocally a national government responsibility that they could not deliver when it mattered most.

Furthermore, the department failed to provide sufficient protective gear for the teams conducting the spraying. The safety of teams must be a priority, especially as they are working in isolated conditions with pesticides.

To make matters worse, team leaders needed to provide their own transport. The costs of the wear and tear on vehicles travelling on rough and gravel farm roads, sometimes at night, far exceeds the nationally approved travel tariffs that are geared towards travelling on proclaimed roads. That meant service providers weren’t adequately remunerated for their help in combating the plague, and in some cases did so at personal cost.

Fortunately, the Western Cape department of agriculture went beyond its mandate and procured the necessary insecticide and protective gear to support teams fighting the plague. The provincial department stepped in where the national department failed, because it could not stand by and watch a plague destroy the very economy that so many people depend on to put food on the table. That response was eventually effective in containing the plague.

However, there are some challenges that remain and that may have a negative effect on future efforts. Many service providers weren’t promptly paid by the national department for their services, despite covering upfront expenses out of their own pockets. There have been delays of up to six months in getting payment, leaving many of these service providers — mostly locals who stepped up to help their community — in the lurch. 

The experience of this local service provider was a big disappointment, if not surprising. The department is as dysfunctional as any under the ANC in national government. When the people of the Karoo needed a helping hand, it was missing in action. This is just one version of a story that has played out countless times in countless situations over the past 30 years.

It is time for us to stand up for our communities and our fellow residents, and to say that we are gatvol, and we will not allow this to continue. The best way to do that only comes once every five years, and that is upon us now that the provincial and national election date has been proclaimed. We must not let this chance pass on May 29.

• Van der Westhuizen, a DA MPP, chairs the Western Cape standing committee on agriculture & environmental affairs.