Mining Weekly reports that “several owners of coal, platinum and chrome assets in South Africa have approached the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) about returning their mining rights, with the department currently determining how to use this opportunity to empower historically disadvantaged South Africans (HDSAs).” What if the Department of Agriculture did the same for wine farms?

If government is to buy struggling mines, perhaps it can also consider buying struggling wine farms. Of course it would help if ANC voters drank wine and the DA did not control the Western Cape where most of the wine is grown. Yet another reason to break the stranglehold the all white, middle aged, middle class demographic has on wine competitions, bankrolled by fatcat banksters.

In the past when the industry struggled with issues like phylloxera and over production the government stepped in and founded organizations such as the KWV to sort things out. And today we can all drink fabulous Mentors wines which has rapidly become the most awarded brand, in spite of not being starred in the Platter wine label guide owned by Diners Club. A brand owner with balls.

SA wine farmers are in big trouble today but what the industry does not need is a bouffant-haired Minister of Wine (abbreviated MW) or even a University of Wine at Quoin Rock affiliated to the University of Stellenbosch or Cape Town which are currently on strike. What farmers would like is a competitive offer from government to buy die hele box en dice.