KwaZulu-Natal officials fired over R5m fraud

TWO KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development officials have been fired for fraud and corruption amounting to R5-million, after they colluded with service providers by inflating invoices to get kickbacks.

The department has laid criminal charges against both officials and the service providers in a bid to recover the money. Other implicated officials have resigned from the department.

The department would not reveal the names of the officials and the service providers implicated, but the officials were linked to its supply chain management division.

Provincial Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Themba Mthembu told the KwaZulu-Natal legislature’s agriculture portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday the supply chain management division was beset by gross malpractice‚ corruption and mismanagement.

He cited “the recent R5-million fraud and corruption scandal involving various staff members‚ including those from supply chain management”, as an example.

Mthembu also told the committee that premier Willies Mchunu’s office was handling the forensic investigation into the alleged fraudulent use of an estimated R100-million budget meant for droughtrelief to assist stricken farmers.

He said the alleged fraud had led to the suspension of the then department head, Dr Siphiwe Mkhize, who had since resigned after being placed on precautionary transfer to the premier’s office.

Mthembu said he had written to the provincial treasury seeking an urgent intervention in the department’s supply chain management unit.