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Committee Chairperson Apologises for Incorrect Figures in R1.7 Billion Agricultural Support to Farmers Statement

Committee Chairperson Apologises for Incorrect Figures in R1.7 Billion Agricultural Support to Farmers Statement

Zawya25-04-2025

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Mineral Resources, Mr Mpho Modise, acknowledges that the Department of Agriculture has set aside R1.7 billion to support 6000 farmers nationally to create 3000 jobs.
Mr Modise apologises for the incorrect figures that are in the media statement that was issued on behalf of the committee on Tuesday, 22 April 2025. 'Upon further examination of the funding allocation, we discovered that the statement conveyed erroneous information regarding the allocation of funds related to the R1.7 billion initiative intended to support farmers,' said Mr Modise.
He added: 'We understand the importance of transparency and accuracy especially in communicating such critical information. We acknowledge the error in the statement and retract the statement, and we profusely apologise for the damage caused by the erroneous information,' said Mr Modise.
The committee remains committed to ensuring accountability in the use of public resources and will continue to scrutinise all agricultural initiatives to guarantee their effectiveness and integrity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

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