Mbombela, July 22, 2025 – In a statement delivered to the Mpumalanga Legislature today, DA MPL Trudie Grovè-Morgan sharply criticised the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs’ (DARDLEA) 2025/26 budget of R1.6 billion, accusing the department of “deliberate misinformation” and a pattern of unfulfilled promises.
Grovè-Morgan, in her capacity as a Democratic Alliance Member of the Provincial Legislature, expressed concerns about the department’s allocation, particularly highlighting the stalled Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market and the misrepresented status of the Mkhondo Agri-Hub.
Fresh Produce Market Delay
The DA MPL noted that the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market, touted as a transformative project to connect smallholder producers with international markets, had failed to open as promised on 1 April 2025. Grovè-Morgan described this as a “bad April Fool’s joke at the expense of poor farmers.”
Agri-Hub Misrepresentation
The statement further challenged the department’s claim that plans were underway to integrate the Mkhondo Agri-Hub into the aforementioned Fresh Produce Market. She stated that the Agri-Hub is currently non-operational due to storm damage, contradicting the department’s narrative. Grovè-Morgan urged the department to cease disseminating false information, which she stated undermines legislative oversight.
Unfulfilled Promises
Grovè-Morgan highlighted a recurring pattern of capital projects and agro-processing schemes that are presented in budget cycles without tangible progress. She cited the Mkhuhlu Agri-Hub as an exception but noted its limited scope.
Fortune 40 Programme Concerns
The DA MPL also raised concerns about the Fortune 40 Programme, questioning the lack of impact assessment, beneficiary selection criteria, and graduation rates from dependency to commercial viability. She argued that the department continues to reallocate funds under the “pretext of youth empowerment” without providing adequate justification.
Call for Transparency
In conclusion, Grovè-Morgan called for urgent clarity on the operational status of the Mkhondo Agri-Hub, a verifiable progress report on the Fresh Produce Market, and an independent impact assessment of the Fortune 40 Programme. She emphasised the need for tangible outcomes that uplift the youth and secure their place in the agricultural economy, stating that the budget must be regarded as “technically inflated, strategically misleading, and politically unaccountable” until such transparency is provided.