BETWEEN THE CHAINS
SIKONATHI MANTSHANTSHA: Farmer Cyril on right track
Ramaphosa represents the new breed of investor and the changing face of capitalism
Two weeks ago, at a farm in Mpumalanga, a black commercial farmer made history. It helps that this farmer is a billionaire politician-turned-businessman-turned politician with presidential ambitions. Whatever his merits, his successful R8.6m auction underlines the welcome changing face of farming in SA. And it is this kind of new money that may help Cyril Ramaphosa finance his campaign while his comrades are raiding the coffers of state institutions. In a production sale at the Ntaba Nyoni stud farm in the Ermelo district, Ramaphosa sold 77 head of Ankole cattle. This was history not only because this is a black farmer, but also because this was the first production auction of the rare cattle species, according to agricultural auction house Vleissentraal. Auctioneer Paul Botha tells me that a long-horned bull sold for a record R640,000 while older bulls in the herd sold for about R330,000 each. The Ankole cattle originate from East Africa, being the main cattle breed in both Sudans ...
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