NUUS| NEWS
Senwes Sponsors
Historical Land Summit
All roads led to the Land Solution Summit, sponsored by Senwes and hosted by
Landbouweekblad on 23-24 August at the Wildswinkel Auction Hall in Bela-Bela. The
event has been hailed as “Land Reform’s Codesa moment” and “a historical event” by
some participants and observers.
By Marlon Abrahams
Senwes Scenario Editor-in-Chief
S
enwes Group CEO and cur-
rent Agbiz Chairman Francois
Strydom, said Senwes was
proud to sponsor the event
“because it is solution-driven.” When
asked about his impressions of the two-
day event and the significance of the
presence of Deputy President David
Mabuza, Rural Development and Land
Reform Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
and Deputy Director Mike Mlengana,
Francois said:
“The timing was immaculate, and not
by design, but by default, the events of
the ten days prior to the summit moved
the whole initiative around land to a point
where government understood that they
had to intervene very seriously. We were
contacted by Nkosozana Zuma (Minister
in the Presidency), who arranged for us
to see Paul Mashatile (ANC Treasurer-
General) and Deputy President David
Mabuza, while on the same day, some of
our members (Agbiz) also saw President
Cyril Ramaphosa.”
“It’s very positive that the deputy
president was there, accompanied by
the minister and also the DG, whom we
know is hugely positive about agriculture.
We are at a very significant point in the
Agri SA President Dan Kriek, Deputy President David Mabuza and Rural Develop
ment and Land Reform Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane at the Land Summit.
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SENWES SCENARIO | SOMER • SUMMER 2018
history of our country. This is the biggest
challenge that we’ve had since 1994, no
doubt, and the way we are tackling the
problem, makes me very hopeful.”
“I’ve just been overwhelmed by all
the success stories. We said at Nation
in Conversation that we need to promote
these stories…that’s the response I’ve
been getting from everyone here…we did
not know that there were so many suc-
cess stories out there.”
Francois cautioned, however: “It was
Nixon (former American president) who
said that the most dangerous thing is
when government says we’re here to
help you. It is not government’s role to fix
everything. Yes, they have a role to play,
but the country belongs to us all and we
must all make it work. My view point on
this is that either you’re at the table or
you’re on the menu. We made the choice
to be active in designing the future and
this has always been our approach in our
business – and to this important matter it’s
exactly the same.”
Agbiz Chairman
and Senwes
Group CEO
addresses the
Land Summit
on sustain-
able funding
models.