MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Government is acting in bad faith with its contentious AgriBEE (Agricultural Broadbased Black Economic Empowerment) document, which is guided by unacceptable political and racist agendas.

This is the view of Dr Phillip du Toit, Manager Judicial Services of the Agricultural Employers Organisation (AEO). He said copies of the highly controversial AgriBee document have been distributed at taxi stands.

Dr Du Toit addressed a meeting of members and stakeholders here last week. The AEO expressed disillusionment and disappointment with the contents of the AgriBEE document, saying that negative interference in and violiation of private property rights can in no way be justified. He accused government of wilfully creating unrealistic expectations to pressurize commercial farmers into an unjust and unacceptable scheme, which will bedevil interracial relations and will have long-term catastrophic implications for agriculture in South Africa.

Dr Du Toit said there is no moral or historical justification for a perception that white commercial farmers have come by their title deeds in an unlawful manner and should therefore be forced to make amends. He quoted statements of President Thabo Mbeki and of Agricultural Minister Thoko Didiza to indicate that this perception is in fact the official point of departure for the Government’s plan of action, embodied in AgriBee.

In its official comment, the AEO also rejected those stipulations of AgriBee which violate the concept of free participation in economic activities and which directly and blatantly discriminate against one racial group whilst openly favouring other racial groups. It strongly objected to the fact that Whites are totally eliminated from all benefits in the official long-term proposals. The AEO objected to efforts in AgriBee to shift Government’s responsibility towards the education and upliftment of the illiterate part of the population onto the agriculture sector, without taking into account the cost or other implications of such a move.

The AEO is a non-political, non-racial and non-profit organisation with a democratically elected management council, elected by its members and act in the interests of its members.