Corruption on a governmentsponsored citrus project in the Sundays River Valley region will be stamped out, Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform MEC Xolile Nqatha has said.
Speaking at the Khangela Citrus Farms’ annual general meeting in Addo, Nqatha said although the government had invested millions of rands in the project, the farms were still not profitable.
The beneficiaries raised their concerns with Nqatha when he first visited the farms just more than a month ago.
In that earlier meeting, the beneficiaries made serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds.
While the project has been beset by earlier claims of fraud and corruption for many years, the latest allegations are directed at more recent former trustees and management who, it is claimed, were serving their own interests.
During the meeting, the MEC said that a forensic investigation would be done to get to the bottom of the alleged corruption.
Nqatha said those who were found to be involved in any unlawful activity or corruption would have to face the full might of the law.
There are 44 land beneficiaries who jointly own the farms, which cover 454ha of land.
The partnership was made possible through the Khangela Empowerment Trust and the department’s Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency.
In 2003, the department invested close to R47m in the farms.
The new trustees that have been elected by the beneficiaries and announced during the AGM are Michael Makhasi, Mannetie Jafta April and Sbongile Lelwane.
“The government has invested millions of rands in Khangela, but amazingly that has not made the farms profitable,” Nqatha said.
“Khangela is a typical case of elite capture that must be defeated in all corners of the country.
“Going forward, the government will tighten oversight, follow public funds, ensure value for money [and] provide proper support to primary beneficiaries.”
Nqatha said the government would further ensure that “democratised processes for people to make decisions about their own land that they were given by government are followed, and that beneficiaries play a meaningful role in decision-making”.
The Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency is expected to send an administrator to the project before the end of this week.
On the citrus industry side, Lukhanyo Nkombisa, from the Citrus Growers’ Association’s nonprofit entity, the Grower Development Company, has already committed his institution to offer training to the beneficiaries.