Food insecurity will never be rooted out in Gauteng because the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development continues to waste millions of rands on projects that are not viable. According to the Gauteng City Regional Observatory (GCRO), Quality of Life Survey, two-thirds of the respondent households in the province do not spend enough on food to secure a basic basket of nutritious food.
The R36 million wasted on a farmyard container project that was started earlier this year could instead have been used to assist emerging farmers in the province who struggle to access funds for equipment and other resources needed to run a successful farm. The misuse of public money is not a case of mismanagement; it is a slap in the face to every resident of Gauteng struggling with poverty, hunger, and unemployment.
Out of 16 containers installed, only six are operational, leaving 10 to rot away without benefiting a single farmer. It is sickening to think that while families scrounge for their next meal, this department wasted funds that could have put food on thousands of tables. Even more infuriating is the purchase of 16 thermo-storage bicycles at R16,000 each. These bicycles now sit unused, collecting dust. This level of wasteful expenditure is not merely irresponsible; it is an outright betrayal of our people.
This R36 million disappeared into a failed vanity project that has done nothing to uplift our struggling rural communities.
The DA demands immediate accountability. The MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, must explain to the people of Gauteng where this money has gone and who has benefited from this gross misallocation of funds. We will not stand by while public funds meant to alleviate poverty and create jobs are recklessly wasted. We call for a full forensic audit not an investigation into this project, and we demand action against those responsible for this disastrous misuse of public money.
The people of Gauteng deserve better. They deserve leaders who put their needs first, not officials who waste millions on failed projects while our communities suffer.
A DA Gauteng Provincial Government will commit to safeguarding the interests of taxpayers by ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and transparently. We will continue to push for accountability and work towards initiatives that genuinely uplift and benefit our communities.