The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in North West on Sunday called for Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development MEC Manketse Tlape to be sacked.
This followed a Sunday Times newspaper "exposé that revealed that a herd of Bonsmara cows costing R1.5 million meant for emerging farmers in the province" was allegedly delivered to former president Jacob Zuma at his homestead in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal in October 2016, Sanco North West chairman Paul Sebegoe said.
“The special investigation unit must jointly with the offices of the auditor general and the public protector probe the rural, environment, and agricultural development programmes for irregularities and any other improprieties, including the whereabouts of the other 25 cows that remain unaccounted for,” he said.
The immediate suspension of the head of the department, chief financial officer, and the responsible programme manager and commencement of disciplinary proceedings would demonstrate government’s commitment to uproot corruption.
While it was "wildly rumoured" within the business community that premier Supra Mahumapelo had "given a directive that lucrative contracts be set aside for 'ubaba' and his associates, little did Sanco realise that the former president Jacob Zuma was a direct beneficary of the corruption that has impoverished emerging farmers and communities in the province", he said.
“The Hawks investigation into the alleged involvement of Mahumapelo, including whether Zuma had in his declaration of interests declared the cows as a gift from the North West provincial government, must be expedited and criminal charges instituted against them if irregularities are uncovered.”
If the premier was not involved in the corruption allegations leveled against him and his administration, the least he could do as head of the provincial government was to accept responsibility for what had occurred under his watch.
“Outsourcing the procurement function through implementing agencies and project management units seem to have created and entrenched a parallel state in order to circumvent compliance with the public finance management for rampant looting.
"Their money laundering and corrupt activities must be probed as part of investigations into state capture,” Sebegoe said.