Die Suider-Afrika Agri Inisiatief (Saai) het vandag Mzwanele Nyhontso, nuutaangestelde minister van Grondhervorming en Landelike Ontwikkeling, se ferm optrede teen beweerde korrupte amptenare in die Kommissie vir die Herstel van Grondregte (KHG) verwelkom. Dit volg in reaksie op Nyhontso se goedkeuring vir die onmiddellike skorsing van ’n aantal KHG-amptenare wat by beweerde finansiële ongerymdhede betrek word.
Die organisasie voer ook aan dat die minister binne slegs een maand sedert sy aanstelling in sy portefeulje hiermee ’n belowende verbintenis maak tot die uitwissing van korrupsie in die departement en is hoopvol dat hy sonder skroom sal voortgaan hiermee.
Volgens dr. Theo de Jager, direksievoorsitter van Saai, is korrupsie, nepotisme, kaderverryking en bedrog aan die orde van die dag in die Departement van Grondhervorming en Landelike Ontwikkeling. “Die huidige prosesse en prosedures wat vir die identifisering van begunstigdes van grondhervorming gebruik word, sowel as die wyse waarop die bestuur van transaksies, betalings en ondersteuningsfondse hanteer word, leen dit tot misbruik,” benadruk De Jager. “Boere en ander grondeienaars is egter, danksy die minister se ferm optrede, nou optimisties dat strenger optrede teen en ondersoeke na ongerymdhede in die departement voortaan gedoen sal word en dat reeds afgehandelde transaksies en uitbetalings ook weer ondersoek sal word.”
De Jager beklemtoon dat die verskynsel van korrupsie in hierdie departement jare lank reeds in die kollig is. ’n Verdoemende verslag deur ’n onafhanklike hoëvlakpaneel wat in Maart 2018 onder leiding van oudpresident Kgalema Motlanthe gepubliseer is, het onder meer die ernstige en omvattende korrupsie en wanbestuur in die grondhervormingsproses blootgelê. “Die verslag lê ongelukkig sedertdien op president Cyril Ramaphosa se lessenaar sonder enige nagevolge vir die geïmpliseerde amptenare of politici,” verduidelik De Jager.
Die opspraakwekkende Mala-Mala-transaksie van 2013, waartydens nagenoeg R1 miljard aan grondeisers betaal is vir ’n 13 000 ha-wildsplaas in Limpopo, is tekenend van die ongerymdhede wat al jare lank in die departement toegelaat word. “Ten spyte van die oënskynlike ongerymdhede met dié transaksie is ’n verslag oor hierdie verdagte transaksie, die begunstigdes, kommissies en bevoordeling wat hieruit gespruit het, nooit bekend gemaak nie,” sê De Jager.
Saai het intussen verlede week verskeie kwessies wat boere direk raak tydens ’n vergadering met Nyhontso ter tafel gelê. AfriForum se uitvoerende hoof, Kallie Kriel, en Theuns Eloff, fasiliteerder van die Afrikaner Verklaring, het ook dié vergadering bygewoon. Hiertydens het Saai sy ernstige kommer laat blyk oor grondherverdelingsprosesse waar swart boere grond van die staat huur, maar ANC-aangestelde amptenare weier om huurkontrakte te hernu en die betrokke plase eerder aan polities verbonde kaders beskikbaar stel. Die regsaksie wat Saai daaroor namens swart lede teen die minister van stapel gestuur het, is ook bespreek.
“Die grondhervormingsproses het tot dusver grootliks misluk en buiten vir korrupte amptenare het dit vir niemand voordele ingehou nie. Ferm optrede van ’n minister wat geen simpatie of lojaliteit aan die amptenare verskuldig is nie, is die enigste hoop om grondhervorming en die vestiging van ’n nuwe klas winsgewende swart boere op koers te kry,” sluit De Jager af.
Corruption in land reform’s days (hopefully) numbered, Saai welcomes new Minister’s firm hand
Today, the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) welcomed the firm action against alleged corrupt officials in the Commission for the Restoration of Land Rights (CRLR) taken by Mzwanele Nyhontso, newly appointed Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development. This comes in response to Nyhontso’s approval for the immediate suspension of several CRLR officials involved in alleged financial irregularities.
The organisation also argues that within only one month since his appointment in his portfolio, the Minister has made a promising commitment to the eradication of corruption in the Department and is hopeful that he will continue with this effort without hesitation.
According to Dr. Theo de Jager, Board Chairman of Saai, corruption, nepotism, cadre enrichment and fraud are the order of the day in the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development. “The current processes and procedures used to identify beneficiaries of land reform as well as the way in which the management of transactions, payments and support funds are handled, are open to abuse,” emphasises De Jager. “Farmers and other landowners are, however, thanks to the Minister’s firm action, now optimistic that stricter action against and investigations into irregularities in the Department will be carried out from now on and that already concluded transactions and payments will also be investigated again.”
De Jager stresses that corruption in this Department has been in the spotlight for years. A damning report by an independent high-level panel published in March 2018 under the leadership of former president Kgalema Motlanthe exposed, among other things, the serious and comprehensive corruption and mismanagement in the land reform process. “Unfortunately, the report has been sitting on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s desk since then without any consequences for the implicated officials or politicians,” explains De Jager.
The notorious Mala-Mala transaction of 2013, during which almost R1 billion was paid to land claimants for a 13 000 ha game farm in Limpopo, is indicative of the irregularities that have been allowed in the Department for years. “Despite the apparent irregularities with this transaction, a report on this suspicious transaction, the beneficiaries, commissions and favouritism that resulted from it, was never made public,” says De Jager.
Meanwhile, last week Saai brought up several issues that directly affect farmers during a meeting with Nyhontso. AfriForum’s CEO, Kallie Kriel, and Theuns Eloff, facilitator of the Afrikaner Declaration, also attended this meeting. During this, Saai expressed its serious concern about land redistribution processes where black farmers lease land from the state, but ANC-appointed officials refuse to renew leases and instead make the relevant farms available to politically connected cadres. The legal action Saai launched against the Minister on behalf of black members was also discussed.
“The land reform process has so far largely failed and apart from corrupt officials, it has not benefited anyone. Firm action by a Minister who owes no sympathy or loyalty to the officials is the only hope to get land reform and the establishment of a new class of profitable black farmers on track,” concludes De Jager.
