South Africa's agriculture grapples with costly post-apartheid transformation woes

by Cyril Madlala*

One of the arguments against the rapid post-apartheid transformation of South Africa's public service is that patently unsuitable people are entrusted with responsibilities beyond their capabilities and, as a result, they will fail to deliver.

It is suggested that the change should be managed gradually by, among other things, retaining as many experienced personnel as possible, regardless of their colour and political orientation. Those who subscribe to this view are never short of examples of how things are falling apart in SA because unsuitable people are in charge.

I am certain that in KwaZulu-Natal province they have a field day as a farce of truly monumental proportions unfolds in the agriculture department. Recently the legislature was presented with a report that detailed some frightening levels of incompetence.

The mushroom, dry rice, maize and beans projects have resulted in 5,5 million Rand ($800,000) in wasted expenditure. The cause: those in charge did not consult with knowledgeable people who would have pointed out that there is a phenomenon known as a season, and that one does not plant beans any time of the year. Now, after the first frost, we all know why.

But really, how does anyone who knows anything about farming explain that beans to the value of R500,000 ($72,000) “were eaten by mice”? Or that capital expenditure of R86m ($12 million) cannot be traced due to poor asset management?

It is a thorough mess and a devastating weapon for those who have issues with the transformation of our society. I can play out in my mind the setting at those dinner parties : if anybody needed proof that “these blacks are fucking up the country,” here it is. I don’t care what explanations might be forthcoming later, but on the basis of what we have heard so far, somebody in charge is messing up. It does not matter whether it is incompetence or corruption.

But what shall we do?

Transformation is not negotiable. It will never happen unless it is imposed by a government that encourages change for the willing, and enforces it against the stubborn. The timetable should be imposed, otherwise even Nelson Mandela would still be "not ready" to take charge of SA. Remember the view at the time : the economy would be too complicated for blacks to handle; ministers would be out of their depth and so forth. Even the worst pessimists I hope now admit that the “communist terrorists” have not done too badly. Nobody is saying certain things could not have been handled differently, but SA is by far a better country today than it was 13 years ago.

The focus in KwaZulu-Natal now is on the two senior officials in charge of the agriculture department. They have been charged for “financial misconduct” involving more than R100m ($14 million), the premier’s office has said.

Those of us who support government’s initiatives to transform the public service hope what is unfolding in the agriculture department will not be another weapon to bash transformation. We hope honest, albeit costly, mistakes have been made, and that this has not been an arrogant, blatant and shameless plunder of the public purse by corrupt people.

*Madlala is the editor and publisher of UmAfrika.

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