The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) intensified its fight against Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen by filing a formal complaint with Parliament's Ethics Committee.
This action follows serious allegations that Steenhuisen provided misleading information in his responses to parliamentary inquiries concerning the hiring of unqualified individuals within his office.
Concerns around Steenhuisen's appointments gained traction last month when he controversially hired Roman Cabanac, a social media influencer and podcaster, as his chief of staff.
Following backlash, Steenhuisen referred to this decision as a "mistake," yet attempted to dissociate it from the prevailing accusations of cadre deployment—a practice the Democratic Alliance (DA) has vehemently opposed.
EFF MP Sinawo Thambo has been particularly vocal, accusing Steenhuisen of clandestinely hiring unqualified white candidates while the DA has positioned itself as a defender against patronage networks and cadre deployment.
“The Democratic Alliance has over the past few years postured as the champion of anti-cadre deployment, and has even taken the ANC to court demanding the records of its cadre deployment committee,” Thambo noted, highlighting the irony of the DA's predicament.
“It has therefore been quite ironic that the DA is now embroiled in its own cadre deployment scandal, courtesy of the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen.”
In a press briefing, EFF leader Julius Malema stated that the party remains actively engaged with the Ethics Committee concerning Steenhuisen’s alleged misconduct.
“These people cannot be paid when they are unqualified. They themselves are getting themselves into trouble because once it is found that they are not qualified and are undeserving of those salaries, they are going to be asked to pay back that money,” Malema said.
He also critiqued Steenhuisen's preference for hiring unqualified individuals, asserting that the minister’s background—a matriculate—reflects an inclination to favour those who share similar qualifications.
Addressing the allegations outside Parliament earlier this week, Thambo detailed the EFF's complaint, asserting that Steenhuisen lied in his response to parliamentary questions about abuse of appointment processes.
“When he said he had not deviated from the normal appointment processes, he misled Parliament and the people of South Africa,” Thambo declared, citing that since taking office, Steenhuisen has appointed three individuals deemed unqualified as advisers, including Cabanac, who reportedly refused to resign when asked.
This troubling context is compounded by reports from August, where the ANC Study Group on Agriculture expressed concerns regarding Steenhuisen’s pursuit of permission to appoint unqualified personnel to high-profile ministerial positions.
Speculation arose after it became known that Steenhuisen had written to Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi, requesting an unusual deviation from the Professionalisation Framework—a framework designed to ensure that clear standards are established for appointments within public service.
Saturday Star