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PREVIOUS WINELAND ARTICLES   |   WINELAND HOME So near yet so far ... industry transformation 'Sawit freed for improved representivity' - Gavin Pieterse Cassie du Plessis "I'm really excited about Sawit's new format and its readiness to move ahead, in broadening its governance structures as an industry resource," said the organisation's chairperson, Gavin Pieterse, in an exclusive interview with WineLand, during which he spelled out the organisation's immediate agenda. Sawit Chairperson Gavin Pieterse At the same time Pieterse - who has had problems reconciling the demands of this position with his business interests and family life - clarified his own position in this regard. This meeting with the suave Johannesburg businessman, clad in a dashing red open-neck shirt and black trousers, took place in a glamorous coffee bar of Cape Town's Arabella Sheraton, where he now regularly stays for local business commitments. Pieterse said he had decided to renew his term at the insistence of the Minister of Agriculture, Ms Thoko Didiza, as she saw him as being central to too many critical initiatives in the industry, like ensuring continuity in the new Sawit structure. One of these initiatives has been the second round of restructuring the Trust, now almost completed. "Now revitalised and re-energised as a resource to the industry, the organisation has a new focus, which includes broad-based empowerment, and it has to finalise the hand-over and roll-out of the Euro15 million EU funding for wine industry development." "There is a need for an industry body ... Sawit will never be that. SAWB is the closest to potentially becoming that body. If they are open to receiving leadership from the Minister." A third Sawit priority was to commence a dedicated strategy for local wine marketing and promotion using some of the EU funds. Pieterse has also recently been voted chairperson of the Wine Industry Charter Steering Committee, an independent autonomous body, for which SAWB provides the secretariat, and which he has undertaken to "deliver on time" in October this year. This follows a year in which he felt that the drivers of the initiative had dragged their heels despite R1 million in Sawit funds being available for the process. Pieterse also believes he has a continued 'behind the scenes' advisory and supportive role to play "in taking SAWB forward". At the same time, with the blessing of the Minister, he was planning to expand his transformation consultancy business to the Western Cape and pursue a "strategy of productive investments" in the wine industry, in which transformation would play a central role. "I have been offered a number of investment opportunities in the industry which require careful scrutiny and feasibility studies." In fact, he was looking at also investing in residential property in the Cape, probably near Stellenbosch, to ease the demands of regular travelling between the north and the winelands. With regard to the new Sawit structure, Pieterse explained the position following KWV "gracefully exiting" from the Trust activities and thereby "freeing it up for improved representivity". In the new structure, the Trust's ministerial appointees are being reduced from "a cumbersome" seven to five and KWV's six trustees will be replaced by representatives nominated from industry ranks and appointed by the Minister within the next three weeks. There are four re-appointed 'ministerial trustees', namely Pieterse (chair), Professor Kader Asmal, dr Thandi Ndlovo and Theo Pegel. The latter having been singled out by Pieterse for his exceptional contributions and progressive thinking. One more was to be appointed shortly. The other six would come from the specific categories of industry stakeholders, namely labour (Cosatu/Fawu), the community (Rudnet), emerging farmers and black business (Bawsi and NAFU) and two from industry commercial (large and small) enterprises, to be nominated by SAWB. All ultimately appointed by and accountable to the Minister. "The Trust is now better positioned to play its role in social upliftment, supporting emerging farmers, BEE facilitation, education and training and various other industry-related support functions." As far as SAWB is concerned, Pieterse had serious reservations about its current functioning and structure. And did not sound too impressed with the "new representative model" agreed to during the previous afternoon. Sawit and the SAWB had to be different entities, respectively representing government as a funding body and the broader industry, but the latter had a long way to go to play its primary role in providing fully representative leadership. "There is indeed a need for an industry body ... for leadership where it's not being provided at the moment. Sawit will never be that. "SAWB is the closest to potentially becoming that, if they're open to receiving leadership from the Minister. Why re-invent the wheel; let's get it right. We've extended a hand of support and friendship. "In fact, SAWB has to go back to basics and reflect on its actual role and identity. Why do they exist and what do they want to be ... as an organisation you must have a programme of clearly defined implementable value added to your members with a concomitant regime of member accountability." Pieterse felt that SAWB was not yet in a position to manage specialised business units. It had to evolve in that direction and rather be an industry 'think-tank' that provides strategic guidelines. "But, in order to not just solve but rather permanently dissolve its current challenges, it needed an independent external facilitator. In this regard, its leadership is welcome to engage with the Sawit leaderhip. I would only consider being part of a process to facilitate a resolution for this if SAWB makes a formal approach through its leadership that is supported by all its members. "But then they have to take responsibility and accountability for the outcome. My approach is not to tinker with structures; let's rather go back to the basics, which coincides with the Minister's view. "Stop assuming things and trying to be what you can't. You have to take the responsibility which goes with being leaders of an organisation around some common issues. There are so many divergent views and agendas among the organisation's respective stakeholders that trying to be all things to all people at this stage is unrealistic. Identify those issues that all stakeholders have an honest common vision on - which in turn becomes the glue that holds it together - and rally around those, gradually evolving from there. "Thus an honest and realistic assessment of what is in fact achievable in the short to medium term - given our devastating and divisive past - and guarding against the temptation to create an unmanageable empire of sorts is the first step. If this approach results in starting the SAWB off as merely and industry forum, or an alliance structure that can confidently engage with government and all other role players, so be it," Pieterse concluded.

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