The second session of Nation in Conversation at Nampo Cape was dedicated to a discussion on rural revival and how to achieve a lived social compact.
The panel consisted of Barend la Grange (Privilege Foundation), Dr. Ivan Meyer (Minister of Agriculture for the Western Cape), Jannie Strydom (Agri Western Cape), and Lennox Plaatjies (SA PALS) and it was facilitated by Theo Vorster (Galileo Capital).
Rural regeneration is not a pipedream
According to Lennox Plaatjies the agricultural sector is the main economic driver in rural communities and therefore it only makes sense that the sector leads the way in rural development. He is also of the opinion that rural development should be viewed as democracy in action as it requires citizens to be aware, involved, and in charge.
For Barend La Grange all is not lost although the current atmosphere in South Africa is one of extreme negativity and pessimism. He however reckons that a crisis serves as fertile soil for regeneration and development and refers to the Coligny (2017) and Senekal (2020) political unrests as examples. These communities came together and worked hard to make their towns investment-friendly by implementing the CRPP method: Cleaning, Repairing, Painting, and Planting. He goes on to say that as South Africans we all have a choice to make, we can either be active citizens or passive users of democracy.
Partnerships at a grassroots level are important
All panelists agreed that a foundation of trust is necessary for regeneration to take place effectively. It is however important to note that stepping up and taking responsibility and ownership of a community does not mean that local government structures should be bypassed.
According to Dr. Ivan Meyer the Western Cape government is committed to the regeneration of its rural communities and does so by following its core principles, namely: caring for people to effect change and appointing competent officials. “The best thing anybody can do for farmers is to avail a well-run, functional and capable municipality since this will allow farmers to flourish,” said Meyer. He furthermore explained that the Western Cape government subscribes to a whole of society approach that emphasizes collaboration and networking.
Jannie Strydom of Agri Western Cape applauded the provincial government for its active stance on rural revival and said that political stability and competent governance allow organised agriculture the freedom to influence policy and build cooperative networks with the provincial government that in turn empowers members to be more sustainable.
The way forward
When talking about the next three to five years, the panelist all agree that success stories should be replicated far and wide as they have the potential to become the norm.
Inclusive growth is therefore the result of like-minded people coming together and forging meaningful partnerships that champion economic and social development.
According to Plaatjies, communities are ready to serve themselves and it is within this sphere that PALS empowers communities through training, mentorship, the transfer of skills, and the development of communities that are in social harmony. He however emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty as the foundation for impactful regeneration.
In closing, La Grange said that it is important to break the cycle in which citizens believe that their towns belong to the politicians and that they, therefore, have no say in the running of the town. “Your town does not solely belong to the politicians, but rather the people of the town. Be proud, proactive, and take ownership”.