The ”meddling hand” of Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana is behind the sacking of Land Bank chairperson Themba Langa, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.
”Mr Langa has been working consistently to turn the bank around in the wake of a series of scandals relating to the misappropriation of funds and other irregularities at the bank,” DA agriculture spokesperson Kraai van Niekerk said in a statement.
On Monday, it was announced that Langa had been removed from office.
”The minister removed … Langa from his position because of disregarding collective decisions of the board, undermining decision-making processes of the board, and unilateral decision-making,” the ministry and the Land Bank said in a joint statement at the time.
Van Niekerk said Langa had previously indicated his dissatisfaction with Xingwana’s constant interference in the activities of the Land Bank board, and in June had voiced his desire to quit the institution.
”It seems that, as is so often the case, the meddling hand of Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana is behind Mr Langa being relieved of his duties,” he said.
Despite Langa’s efforts to get the troubled bank back on track, Xingwana seemed nevertheless determined to meddle in its affairs — to the great detriment of the institution.
”Her eagerness to micro-manage has in the past — as at present — served to undermine the implementation of a workable turnaround strategy at the bank.
”In particular, her decision to squash the findings of the forensic audits into irregularities at the bank continues to impede efforts to rehabilitate the institution.”
Van Niekerk called on Xingwana to ”explain exactly why Mr Langa has been removed from his post”. – Sapa