Minister of Agriculture (South Africa)

Last updated

Minister of Agriculture
Flag of South Africa.svg
John Steenhuisen 2024.jpg
Incumbent
John Steenhuisen
since 30 June 2024
Department of Agriculture
Style The Honourable
Appointer Cyril Ramaphosa
Inaugural holder Louis Botha
Formation30 June 2024
Deputy Rosemary Capa

The Minister of Agriculture is a minister in the Cabinet of South Africa since 2024, when the corresponding department was split from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It holds the political executive responsibility for the Department of Agriculture, and for the Agricultural Research Council, the National Agricultural Marketing Council, Onderstepoort Biological Products, the Perishable Products Export Control Board, and Ncera Farms. [1]

Contents

The agriculture portfolio was created in the 2024 cabinet reorganisation after the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of the government of national unity. The current Minister of Agriculture is John Steenhuisen.

List of agriculture ministers

In the past, several other ministerial posts and portfolios included, or were exclusively responsible for, agriculture. The following is a historical list of these posts' official titles and their corresponding office holders.

Minister of Agriculture, 1910-1933

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
Louis Botha Louis Botha.png 31 May 191028 June 1912 SAP Louis Botha
(I) (II)
J.W. Sauer Jacobus W Sauer - Cape Colony Liberal MP.png 28 June 191224 July 1913
Louis Botha Louis Botha.png 19131913
H.C. van Heerden 191320 March 1920
F.S. Malan
Smuts Cabinet 1923.jpg
20 March 19208 February 1921 SAP Jan Smuts
(I) (II)
Deneys Reitz Deneys Reitz.jpg 8 February 192119 June 1924
Jan Kemp Jan Kemp.jpg 19 June 192417 May 1933 NP J.B.M. Hertzog
(I) (II)

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, 1933-1948

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
Jan Kemp Jan Kemp.jpg 19341935 UP J.B.M. Hertzog
(III) (IV)
Deneys Reitz Deneys Reitz.jpg 193518 May 1938
W.R. Collins
SA Cabinet 1939.jpg
18 May 193817 July 1943
Jan Smuts
(takes office after Hertzog resignation)
J.G.N. Strauss KoosStrauss.jpg 17 July 194326 May 1948 UP Jan Smuts
(III)

Minister of Agriculture, 1948-1958

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
S.P. le Roux SP le Roux.jpg 26 May 194816 April 1958 HNP D.F. Malan
(I) (II)

Minister of Water Affairs and Agricultural Technical Services, 1958-1966

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
P.K. le Roux PK le Roux.jpg 16 April 195830 March 1966 NP Strydom
(I)
Hendrik Verwoerd
(takes office after Strydom's death)

Minister of Agriculture and Water Affairs, 1966-1968

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
J.J. Fouché Jacobus Johannes Fouche 1968.jpg 30 March 196610 April 1968 NP Hendrik Verwoerd
(II)
B.J. Vorster
(takes office after Verwoerd's death)

Minister of Agriculture, 1968-1981

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
D.C.H. Uys 10 April 19681972 NP B.J. Vorster
(I) (II) (III)
Hendrik Schoeman 197229 April 1981

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1981-1982

NamePortraitTermPartyPrime Minister
Pietie du Plessis 29 April 19811982 NP P.W. Botha
(I)

Minister of Agriculture, 1982-1991

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident (since 1984)
J.J.G. Wentzel 19826 September 1989 NP P.W. Botha
(I) (II)
Jacob de Villiers 6 September 19891991 NP F.W. de Klerk
(I)

Minister of Agriculture and Development, 1991-1994

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
Kraai van Niekerk 199110 May 1994 NP F.W. de Klerk
(I)

Minister of Agriculture, 1994-1996

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
Kraai van Niekerk 10 May 19941996 NP Nelson Mandela
(Government of National Unity)

Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, 1996-2009

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
Derek Hanekom Derek Hanekom-IMG 1037.jpg 199614 June 1999 ANC Nelson Mandela
(Government of National Unity)
Thoko Didiza 14 June 199922 May 2006 ANC Thabo Mbeki
(I) (II)
Lulama Xingwana Lulu Xingwana 2013 crop.jpg 22 May 20069 May 2009
Kgalema Motlanthe
(takes office after Mbeki resigns)

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2009-2019

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
Tina Joemat-Peterson Tina Joemat-Peterson.png 9 May 200924 May 2014 ANC Jacob Zuma
(I) (II)
Senzeni Zokwana 24 May 201429 May 2019
ANC Cyril Ramaphosa (Feb 2018–)

Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, 2019-2024

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
Thoko Didiza Minister Thoko Didiza.png 29 May 201913 June 2024 ANC Cyril Ramaphosa

Minister of Agriculture 2024-present

NamePortraitTermPartyPresident
John Steenhuisen John Steenhuisen 2024.jpg 30 June 2024 DA Cyril Ramaphosa

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References

  1. "DAFF Structure" (PDF). Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Retrieved 9 October 2009.[ dead link ]