Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has requested a full report on the recent election process of the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).
According to the department, concerns have been raised about the transparency and procedural integrity of the process.
“These include inconsistent and conflicting communications to registered veterinary professionals regarding voting deadlines that created confusion and may have resulted in the exclusion of some eligible participants.
“In addition, questions have emerged about the eligibility of certain candidates, the fairness and independence of the verification process, and the overall credibility of the selection panel tasked with overseeing the elections.
“Stakeholders have also alleged that the process lacked sufficient clarity and accessibility, potentially undermining the representativity and legitimacy of the council,” said the department in a statement.
The Minister has, said the department, emphasised that where there is credible concern about the legitimacy or procedural fairness of a statutory body’s governance processes, it is the duty of the Executive to intervene decisively to uphold public trust and institutional integrity.
The Minister has now:
- requested a full report from the Department of Agriculture, including legal advice on the validity and procedural soundness of the SAVC election;
- informed the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture in Parliament of the concerns raised, in the interest of full transparency and to enable appropriate legislative oversight; and
- formally requested the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture to initiate a process to restart the SAVC election, should legal advice not conclusively endorse the validity of the current process.
Steenhuisen said: “Good governance is not optional; it is foundational. Public confidence in statutory regulatory bodies such as the SAVC rests on transparent, credible and procedurally fair processes. My actions are intended to ensure that these standards are upheld without compromise.” – SAnews.gov.za
