A rotten tomato at the Joburg Market

Over a month ago now, it became public knowledge that the CEO of the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, Ms Simangele Sekgobela, had been placed on suspension pending an investigation relating to her performance.

Numerous allegations range from maladministration relating to Supply Chain Management practices, to poor working relations with staff.

Should any of the accusations prove to be true, this would be a travesty for one of the few City of Johannesburg’s municipal entities that has obtained a clean audit for the last few years, and seriously detract from the market’s claim to be one of the city’s top performing entities!

The Joburg Fresh Produce Market is a world leader in numerous regards, and certainly in Africa. It accounts for over 50 per cent of SA’s market share in fresh produce, plays an integral role in Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment, as well as in fighting hunger and poverty by promulgating various schemes to counter this.

Ms Sekgobela was appointed as CEO of the Market in mid-2013. She appears to be highly qualified. Her education credentials include commercial degrees from Wits, ‘honours’ in this regard from Unisa, and ‘masters’ from Hull University, in the UK, inter alia. She was previously employed as the head for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Gauteng Province.

For all the recriminations, one wonders if Ms Sekgobela has the right credentials for the job or if this is not a case of yet another cadre deployment that went wrong, where the ordinary residents of Johannesburg again suffer, and officials are suspended but still remunerated by the City.

Even to date, members of the Economic Development Section 79 Committee, that is responsible for oversight on the core department, as well as the Fresh Produce Market; have yet to be informed officially of the CEO’s suspension.

The DA will do all that it can to help ensure that the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market gets back on its feet. Its many successes and achievements must be retained, and we cannot allow the suspension of one person to deter the good workings of the market.

Residents will again have a chance to ensure sound management over these municipal owned entities in 2016 by lending the DA your vote to govern the City of Johannesburg.

DA PR Councillor Tyrell Meyers, 082 572 8925, vance@iafrica.com