Irregularly appointed graduates cost Gauteng Department of Agriculture over R2 million

25 April 2023

The Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will be spending R2 436 000 per year on salaries for the 28 agriculture graduates that were irregularly appointed during the 2022/2023 financial year. The graduates have been given a contract for 24 months.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has seen the advertisement that went out last year January. Fourteen graduates will be taught new techniques as it pertains to livestock farming. The other 14 will be trained in assisting with crop farming.

The training of graduates in new agriculture techniques is critical if we want to ensure that there is food security in the province. However, we remain concerned about how these graduates have been employed.

We eagerly await the reply to our written questions tabled to the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mbali Hlophe, on this matter. The Chief Director for this department did not have the authority to appoint these graduates and flouted HR regulations.

This irregular behaviour cannot be tolerated. We need to ensure that all procedures put in place by the government to curb corruption and prevent any forms of nepotism are adhered to. The DA will continue to put pressure on the MEC to ensure that all officials follow the correct procedure when appointing all staff members.

Issued by Bronwynn Engelbrecht, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, 25 April 2023