Frustrated members of the South African Grain Farmers’ Association (Sagra) have brought a motion of no confidence against its national chief executive, Ismael Tshiame, and chairperson, Tebogo Mongoato.
The members – specifically representing Sagra in the Free State and Eastern Cape – say they have had enough of Mongoato and Tshiame’s “ineffective and unaccountable leadership”. They demand that Sagra’s top dogs step down with immediate effect.
During a media briefing held yesterday in Johannesburg, Phaladi Matsole, one of the Sagra district chairpersons in the Free State, claimed Tshiame and Mongoato made a number of crucial organisational decisions without consulting Sagra members.
This included a recent decision taken to walk away from the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa) following a fallout at its annual congress.
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According to Matsole, alleged mismanagement by Sagra’s national executive committee has negatively impacted the association’s members. As an example, he sighted a project which lead to great unhappiness.
“The sunflower project was not well managed. Inputs to farmers arrived late and in a very disorderly fashion. One would get fertilisers and chemicals but not seeds and fertiliser. Without seed and chemicals, [that] does not mean anything,” Matsole told Food For Mzansi.
Sunflower farming is one of Sagra’s 12 key commodity focus areas. With the sunflower project, some members maintain that the intended beneficiaries did not receive the sunflower support they were approved for.
“As a result, farmers are left in debt and their ability to invest in the 2022/2023 planting season has suffered a big blow… The decision by the national leaders have left farmers in the Free State, Eastern Cape and other provinces in debt due to non-payment of soil preparation, spraying and harvesting,” Matsole claimed.
Motion backed by E. Cape farmers
Instead of addressing their concerns, Sagra’s district chairpersons have been served with letters of demand in their personal capacities, said Matsole.
This follows an earlier report by Food For Mzansi in which Mongoato and Tshiame confirmed that they would be seeking legal counsel in light of a series of corruption and other allegations levelled against them.
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The allegations included that they were milking private and public resources to enrich themselves and that they were allegedly involved in illegal bank accounts, dodgy input procurements for grain farmers, and unable to present financial statements.
Sagra’s Free State leaders insist they are acting on the mandate of frustrated members. As a result, the province has resolved to bring a motion of no confidence against Mongoato and Tshiame.
Food For Mzansi understands that Eastern Cape members of the grain association also backed the motion of no confidence. However, due to logistical reasons, representatives from this province could not physically attend yesterday’s media briefing.
“As a direct result of the motion above, the two provinces are calling on government to stop transferring funds that are intended to support grain farmers to this leadership, their companies and, or selected agencies, remove Sagra national as an implementing agency but work directly with provinces,” Matsole said.
In an earlier interview, Mongoato justified their decision to walk away from Afasa. According to him, Sagra’s constitution empowered the NEC to act and exercise final authority on all matters affecting the association.
Members in the Free State have since also instructed attorneys “to deal” with the two Sagra leaders. They call on other provinces to support the motion of no confidence and to also demand the immediate resignation of Mongoato and Tshiame.
Furthermore, Sagra’s Free State and Eastern Cape leaders are calling on relevant law enforcement agencies and government departments to investigate whether funds disbursed to Sagra were administered to achieve the intended objectives.
ALSO READ: Black farmer rift deepens: Sagra boss lambasted
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