Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana has effectively axed his department’s director-general‚ Mike Mlengana‚ the latest salvo in a war over alleged corruption. Mlengana has been stripped of “all delegations of authority”‚ according to an official internal memo circulated on Monday. Mlengana confirmed the move on Tuesday‚ saying: “As it stands he [Zokwana] is my boss but I am effectively suspended.” The move follows Mlengana’s suspension of deputy director-general Siphokazi Ndudane‚ head of fisheries‚ in a row that has spilled over into the public domain.
The two have fallen out over several issues‚ most notably a controversial three-tonne abalone deal worth R45m. Both accuse each other of mismanagement and wrongdoing. The National Health Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) has thrown its weight behind Mlengana‚ while the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association is supporting Ndudane. Zokwana was also opposed to Ndudane’s suspension and las...
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