Honourable members,I am very privileged once again to be standing before you to present the 2013/14 Budget for the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal.
Honourable Chairperson,before I even engage in this noble task,may I reflect briefly and give you the background of where we are as the department at this point in time. After taking over the department,I encountered many,well documented challenges.
Honourable Chairperson,the structure of the department was non-existent,and posts were given to incapable personnel. Worst of all,the department was divided into two camps,which hampered service delivery. As an MEC of the department, I was forced to choose between the camps, and when I did not, it raised resistance which prompted labour unions to take advantage of the situation that led to protests and marches targeted specifically to me as the MEC, calling on the Honourable Premier to recall me. Another typical example of distabilising the department was the implication of Senior Management in physical assault allegations that carried no substance.
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