Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has asked farmers in the province to seek alternative funding, yet her department has incurred irregular expenditure of R69 million.
Farmers play a critical role in ensuring food security, and the Gauteng government’s failure to support them puts food security at risk.
This information was revealed in the Auditor General’s (AG) report for the 2023/2024 financial year. This irregular expenditure of R69 million occurred during the 2015/2016 financial year and has only now been flagged. This irregular expenditure occurred due to mismanagement and questionable procurement practices within the department. Furthermore, the department has underspent over R11 million on its conditional grant, which could have assisted farmers.
If this department is serious about ensuring that Gauteng becomes a food-secure province, the MEC must clamp down on irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
In a province like Gauteng, where unemployment and food insecurity are critical concerns, the misspending of R69 million is a direct betrayal of the public.
Instead of prioritising the development and resilience of Gauteng’s agricultural sector, Premier Lesufi’s government has shown an alarming tendency to divert funds to politically connected entities at the expense of public welfare.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will engage directly with the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, to determine what measures will be put in place to clamp down on irregular expenditure and ensure proper procurement processes.
We will also table questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain the number of farmers who requested funding and equipment and those who benefitted from the department. This will assist in determining the number of farmers denied funding while the department is underspending and misdirecting funds.
A DA Gauteng Provincial government would ensure transparency in how public funds are spent, and would ensure that every rand in public funds is directed toward meaningful, sustainable development.