Within 24 hours of Feike writing about DAFF's unlawful and questionable processes of allocating Interim Relief 8 lobster quotas which are now to be administered solely and exclusively by persons secretly appointed by DAFF, we have received further examples of possible corruption and community conflict in the Stanford area near Gansbaai and in Kleinmond near Hermanus.
Feike has received information that some 15 Stanford interim relief lobster fishers have suddenly been removed from the Stanford list of Interim Relief lobster right holders by a Ms Francina Booysen (chosen by DAFF to "lead" the Stanford IR "co-operative" group) because they refused to agree to sell their fish to a company that DAFF wants them to use to process and market their lobster.
The only possible inference for such egregiously illegal conduct is that one or more DAFF officials are being paid a bribe by the processing and marketing company to force right holders to use its services. Why else is DAFF and its staff so involved in determining where lobster is to be processed and who markets it? DAFF has no legal authority to dictate who may process or market any person's fishing quota.
Feike has requested that the Official Opposition, the Democratic Alliance, immediately take this matter up by seeking the intervention of the Public Protector. The Public Protector must be asked to immediately commence an urgent investigation into possible corruption and maladministration involving DAFF officials and the allocation of IR fishing quotas.
No comments:
Post a Comment