Jet –setting Minister Mokonyane ignores drought crisis

Asanda Xongo

12 November 2015

Yesterday's Portfolio committee on Water and Sanitation scheduled to consider the drought was adjourned by the chairperson, Mlungisi Johnson who instead of pressing the department on its plans to mitigate the crisis opted to close the meeting and join the NEHAWU protest on Parliament’s precinct.

To make matters even worse, the Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyana did not attend the meeting, at present several provinces are at serious risk of starvation, due to food shortages.

 Thousands of job losses are expected, as farms are unable to yield crops, Farmers in Kwa Zulu Natal have already reported to have lost 30 000 heads of cattle alone this year as a result of the province’s driest year in over a century, subsistence farmers are expected lose 60% of their herds within the next few weeks.

DA spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi added that “The DA will write to the leader of Government Business, Cyril Ramaphosa, to demand an explanation as to why Mininster Mokonyane is displaying poor leader and why she was allowed to travel overseas with him on his visit to Iran, furthermore the DA will be writing to the chairperson of Committee chairs,Cedrick Frolick, requesting that he investigate chairperson Johnson decision to shut down such an important committee.”