DA questions appointment of Joemat-Pettersson's sister as Acting Director

The Director-General for Agriculture, Langa Zita, has admitted to Parliament that the sister of Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson is currently employed as an Acting Director in the Department. 

Directorships in the Department come with an annual package worth between R680 000 and R790 950, according to government's public service salary scales.

In a meeting of Parliament's Agriculture committee, Zita was forced to acknowledge that Ms Rowena Joemat, employed as the Acting Director of Development Support, is in fact the Minister's sister.

Ms Joemat previously worked for the Agricultural Research Council before taking up the position as Acting Director in the Department.

The appointment of the Minister's sister raises some serious questions which we will be putting to the Minister in Parliament:

• Was the Department aware of the family connection to Minister Joemat-Pettersson when the appointment was made and, if so, why were no concerns raised? 
• Was the Director position publically advertised?
• What procedures were followed to ensure that the best candidate for the job was appointed?

It is strange that the family connection to the Minister was not viewed as problematic during the appointment procedure.

The Department of Agriculture has been plagued by controversy ever since Minister Joemat-Pettersson's appointment almost three years ago. 

The Democratic Alliance has exposed massive wasteful expenditure on flights and expensive hotels worth R1.6 million incurred by the Minister and reported this to the Public Protector. Joemat-Pettersson must now explain why her sister is holding a Directorship in her Department.

Statement issued by Annette Steyn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, February 8 2012

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