MEC wants new board for growth agency

'Agency lacks leadership'

UNDER-PERFORMANCE and declining good governance at the corruption-riddled Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency has led to the dissolution of its board.

The board's dissolution last week follows the resignation a week earlier of its chairperson, Rachel Kalidass.

Kalidass confirmed her resignation and said: "I fully support subsequent action taken by MEC for tourism and economic empowerment Norman Mokoena, which I firmly believe is in the best interests of the agency and the province."

Mokoena said: "I want to put in place transitional mechanisms to ensure that the agency is re-engineered to acceptable levels of governance and efficiency.

"This follows an extensive review by the executive council on the functioning, performance and governance of the agency, informed by the report presented by myself about the state of the agency at the meeting of the council earlier this year."

The board, which was re-established after the consolidation of three parastatals, was tasked with the responsibility of leading a qualitative merger process and consolidation of the three entities to enable them to carry out their primary role.

The parastatals are the Mpumalanga Agricultural Development Corporation, the Mpumalanga Housing Finance Company and the original Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency.

Mokoena said though there were some board members who carried out their responsibilities to the best of their ability, a lack of collective leadership and cohesion was holding back the development of the province.