Quit bullying farmers, top official urges
Shining light in agriculture gets suspension orders
Mike Mlengana, who is highly respected in the agricultural sector, has been suspended as director-general of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after refusing to sign a contract because the proper tender procedure was not followed. He says he objected to minister Senzeni Zokwana's decision to award the contract to a company owned by two former provincial police commissioners to provide security services and investigate allegations of corruption in the department. "I told him we had the police to look after us and the auditor-general to investigate our finances," says Mlengana. He asked Zokwana to withdraw the contract and was informed he was being suspended because of underperformance. In a statement released last week, Zokwana said Mlengana had been suspended pending internal investigations, and that the "suspension is a precautionary measure and does not in any way constitute a judgment". Organised agriculture says his removal will be a blow to the industry. The...
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