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PESI warning

Govt. warns farmers to be wary of PESI scammers

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Food For Mzansi

Govt. warns farmers to be wary of PESI scammers

by Duncan Masiwa
18th Aug 2021
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
PESI warning

Subsistence farmers have been warned by the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development that applicants for presidential economic stimulus initiative (PESI) vouchers need not pay for their applications to be processed. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

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The national department of agriculture, land reform and rural development has cautioned farmers to be on high alert for scammers posing as department officials. Fraudsters are now trying to trick applicants for the presidential economic stimulus initiative (PESI) into paying for the processing of their applications.

This is the latest in a series of dubious PESI-related practices befalling the initiative, meant to support over 75 000 subsistence farmers with vouchers. The vouchers range in value from R1 000 to R9 000.

Only 14 000 small-scale farmers were successful in their applications.

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According to the department, criminals are now phoning hopeful applicants for the PESI scheme and informing them that they have been approved, then asking them to deposit sums of money into bank accounts.

PESI
Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson for the minister of agriculture, rural development and land reform, Thoko Didiza. Photo: Facebook

“As the department we continue to ask our farmers always to be cautious of the scammers out there. They must always check the information they receive with their nearest offices of the department,” Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson for the department told Food For Mzansi.

While the presidential economic stimulus initiative is yet to be finalised, farmers should take note that no payment is required for their application to be processed or approved. The department said that it will communicate with the selected farmers using official email accounts.

A troubled PESI process

The PESI scheme has been in the spotlight since its unveiling by minister Thoko Didiza in December 2020.

Last year, more than 75 000 subsistence farmers were invited by government to apply for farming input vouchers which could be used at vendors selected by the department.

However, an array of issues was reported. First, minister Didiza had to extend the validity of the vouchers on two separate occasions following administrative woes in the roll-out that kept farmers from accessing the inputs in time.

This was followed by farmers inundating the department’s offices with complaints about the exorbitant fees they were being charged when buying goods with the PESI vouchers.  

Desperate farmers furthermore illegally traded their vouchers for money, and the department told Food For Mzansi that it would clamp down on farmers found guilty of such actions.

pesi and other fake news
The department of trade, industry and competition warned the public that this advert is fake. Photo: Supplied/dtic

Further warning of tricksters

In an unrelated matter, the department of trade, industry and competition (the DTIC) has alerted the public to a fake advertisement currently circulating on social media platforms and farmer WhatsApp groups.

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In the advert, a bogus consultancy claiming to have the support of the dtic encourages women to apply for an agricultural women’s empowerment fund for start-up support to the value of R700 000.

“Beware: No connection or relationship between the dtic and this company or advert,” the department said in a recent tweet.

Farmers are advised always to double check with the local offices of relevant government departments or organisations before handing over money to individuals.

ALSO READ: Light in PESI tunnel for Eastern Cape farmers

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Duncan Masiwa

Duncan Masiwa

DUNCAN MASIWA is a budding journalist with a passion for telling great agricultural stories. He hails from Macassar, close to Somerset West in the Western Cape, where he first started writing for the Helderberg Gazette community newspaper. Besides making a name for himself as a columnist, he is also an avid poet who has shared stages with artists like Mahalia Buchanan, Charisma Hanekam, Jesse Jordan and Motlatsi Mofatse.

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