Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana has suspended his director general Mike Mlengana with immediate effect.
A statement from the ministry did not disclose specific reasons for the suspension and officials were not available for comment.
“The Minister of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries‚ Mr. Senzeni Zokwana‚ has placed his Director General‚ Mr Mike Mlengana‚ on suspension with immediate effect pending internal investigations‚” the ministry said in a statement.
“The suspension is a precautionary measure and does not in any way constitute a judgement.”
The statement said Mr M Ramasodi: Deputy Director General: Agricultural Production‚ Health and Food Safety‚ would stand in for Mlengana.
Mlengana was previously the president of the African Farmer’s Association of South Africa‚ which consists of smallholder farmers. And he has run a commercial farm.
He has also held top management positions in private and public-owned entities.
Mlengana is a Fulbright scholar with an MA degree in financial economics and economic development from the Graduate School of Economics and International Studies in Denver‚ USA.
He was appointed to the DG post in July 2016.
- TimesLIVE
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