DURBAN - THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that it has suspended an agricultural adviser for serious misconduct after he was allegedly caught transporting voters during the by-election in Bergville, Okhahlamba District yesterday.
MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi expressed concern and instructed the department to act within the ambit of the law to hold the official accountable.
It was also alleged that the official embezzled fertilisers, seeds and farming implements, which were earmarked to support the community as part of political campaigning.
Sithole-Moloi said due to the gravity of the allegations, and in order to ensure that the investigation proceeded in an unhindered manner, the perpetrator had been placed on precautionary suspension from duty pending the finalisation of the investigation.
“We trust our officials to deliver services to our people. What this official did is very wrong because as a government we are putting in serious effort to fight the poverty engulfing our communities.
“We did not expect our officials to use our state vehicles for political campaigning. This cannot be correct, as there are people who are awaiting assistance and information from the agricultural adviser who has decided to be a politician,” said the MEC.
“Officials are not politicians but civil servants, they are entrusted with delivering services to our people. They must leave politics to politicians and continue to do their work which they have applied for,” said Sithole-Moloi.
She encouraged members of the community to report government officials who are abusing state resources.
Meanwhile ward 101 in eThekwini was the only one that experienced hiccups in yesterday’s by-elections, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
IEC spokesperson in KwaZuluNatal, Thabani Ngwira, said there had been a steady flow of voters across the four wards that had by-elections in Durban, Nongoma and Okhahlamba. The results were expected today. The three major parties, the ANC, DA and IFP, all expressed satisfaction with the proceedings for the day.
ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela was optimistic that the governing party would retain ward 101 which had a vacancy after their councillor candidate, Siyabonga Mkhize, was killed in October last year.
“We won this ward before and we fancy our chances again, given the effort put in during campaigning,” said Ntombela.
The IFP’s Joshua Mazibuko said they ran a successful campaign and looked forward to the results.
“We have done all that we can, but just because people say they will vote for you does not mean they will. All in all, the by-election has gone well with no hiccups.
The DA’s Christopher Pappas said they were looking at increasing their support and building on it for future elections.
“We have to be realistic about our chances, right now we are focusing on increasing the numbers, not winning,” said Pappas, who is also uMngeni mayor.
THE MERCURY