‘Cattle’ MEC may still be put out to pasture

LIMPOPO premier Stan Mathabatha will fire embattled agriculture MEC Joy Matshoge if she is found guilty of having unduly benefited from a government cattle project meant for poor farmers.

Mathabatha said he was awaiting the outcome of the investigation by public protector Thuli Madonsela into claims that Matshoge awarded herself 51 Nguni cattle worth about R1million, between November 2013 and July last year.

Madonsela is investigating the complaint from the DA, which followed an exposé of the scandal by the Sunday Times.

Mathabatha said he had been watching the developments with “very keen interest”. He NO BULL: Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha naturally frowned on reports of corruption, he said.

“After they have investigated I will then take that evidence, call in the MEC, [and say] ‘MEC, here is the evidence from the public protector who claims to have investigated the matter. What are you saying? Can you please provide me with sufficient reason why I should not ask you to resign or drop you from the executive?’ ” he said.

Mathabatha, also the provincial ANC chairman, said the ANC in Limpopo had demanded a report from Matshoge and that its top five officials would discuss the cattle scandal at its fortnightly meeting tomorrow.

Matshoge, the Limpopo ANC Women’s League chairwoman, has come under fire over the cattle scandal, with Cosatu calling for her head.

DA Limpopo leader Jacques Smalle wrote to Mathabatha asking him to suspend Matshoge and launch an internal probe into the abuse of public office for self-enrichment.

EFF Limpopo secretary and MPL Jossey Buthane threatened to lay criminal charges against her.

Mathabatha denied ignoring the matter, saying he had immediately demanded an explanation from Matshoge.

Aggrey Mahanjana, general secretary of the African Farmers Association of South Africa, said Matshoge’s case was the latest example of a politically well-connected person benefiting from a programme designed to uplift the poor.

The association’s 10 000 members had raised similar concerns countrywide due to a lack of transparency in the allocation of the Nguni cattle by the government.