Free State farmers who claimed that the top brass of the South African Grain Farmers’ Association (Sagra) were involved in corruption may soon be dragged to court. Sagra’s chief executive, Ismael Tshiame, and chairperson, Tebogo Mongoato, are both seeking legal advice over “defamatory and spurious allegations.”
The bitter dispute ensued after Tshiame and Mongoato’s announcement that it had joined five other black farmers’ organisations in walking away from the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (Afasa).
Sagra’s district chairpersons in the Free State – Petrus Maloka, Phaladi Matsole, Johannes Lephatsoa and Frans Matsholo – distanced themselves from the national executive’s decision, and also made a number of allegations against Tshiame and Mongoato.
This 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.
Food For Mzansi spoke to Mongoato who confirmed that they were seeking legal counsel. He also made it clear that he apparently had the power to terminate Sagra’s Afasa membership – a move that heavily upset the Free State district chairpersons.
Mongoato said, “The constitution empowers the national executive committee (NEC), in between congress, to act and exercise final authority on all matters affecting the association. Sagra notes the defamatory and spurious allegations made through a media statement by a few members who purport to represent Free State province.”
“Sagra is a democratic organisation that has membership in eight provinces within the Republic [of South Africa]. It further has complaints and dispute resolution processes in place that are available to all its members, who are aggrieved, with any decision of its structures, office bearers and officials.”
According to Mongoato, Sagra’s top executive refused to be drawn into public spats with “ill-disciplined members.” These members were allegedly soliciting public sympathy in an effort to discredit them in public, and in front of its members and funders.
“Sagra is not, by any means, oblivious to the modus operandi of these members. It notes the defamatory utterances… levelled against the CEO and the chairperson of Sagra in their personal capacities,” Mongoato said.
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Calls to cease funding
Meanwhile, Sagra’s Free State district chairpersons called on private and public funders to stop funding the NEC with immediate effect. They believe law enforcement agencies should probe Sagra – a move Mongoato experiences as harmful to the grain organisation. “Such is viewed in a very serious light. As such, it is accorded the necessary attention it deserves.”
According to Mongoato, all Sagra members have subscribed to abide by the processes of the organisation, and therefore Sagra will not hesitate to deal with ill-discipline among its members. “To this end, appropriate measures to afford, the conduct intended to bring the organisation into disrepute have unfolded and afforded befitting impetus,” Mongoato said.
He furthermore told Food For Mzansi that both him and Tshiame were remunerated according to Sagra’s approved framework.
Members of the public, Sagra’s members and business partners should not to be alarmed, he added. Instead, they should rather to contact the relevant authorities within the official structures of Sagra for any queries in this regard.
ALSO READ: Afasa reels after mass exodus of black farmers
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