EFF to refer Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to Parliament Ethics Committee for lying in his response to a parliamentary question regarding appointments in his office

7 October 2024

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will be referring the Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to Parliament's Ethics Committee, after his blatant and unadulterated lie in response to a parliamentary question regarding his appointment of unqualified individuals in his office as advisors and staff.

In response to a question asked by the EFF, wherein we asked whether he deviated from the normal recruitment policies for advisors and staff in his office by appointing four individuals who lack either the educational requirement for appointment, the requisite experience for appointment and/or both; Steenhuisen replied in the negative.

Steenhuisen, who himself has been under scrutiny for years for his disregard for education and meritocracy, made this reply knowing full well that there were such individuals who were actively working in his Ministry and pursuing payment for three-months, while he had sent a letter requesting a deviation from the Minister of Public Administration from the Public Service Act, to legitimise their appointment.

If Steenhuisen had an ounce of honesty, integrity and respect for the rule of law, he would have been transparent that there are indeed individuals appointed in his office that do not comply with the standard norms and practises of appointment in government and the minimum qualifications requirements as contained in the Public Services Act, Act 103 of 1994, and he was in the process of securing a deviation for their appointment. Instead of doing this, Steenhuisen decided to lie to Parliament and by extension lie to the people of South Africa.

It is only recently that the Minister of Public Service and Administration has declined Steenhuisen's request, whereas these unqualified individuals have been working in the Ministry of Agriculture for more than three-months. In addition to his lies, Steenhuisen is already hampering the efficiency of the Department as a result of his appointment of a racist and right-winger as his Chief of Staff, who now refuses to resign and draws a salary from taxpayers money while ostensibly doing no work.

Steenhuisen has proven, in a short period of time, that he is unfit to be a Minister through his practices of patronage and undermining of the rule of law, and as a result the EFF will be referring him to the Ethics Committee for his conduct.

Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 7 October 2024