The department did not elaborate on the reasons, except to say that they were administrative. Palesa Mokomele, spokesman for the minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said Sipho Ntombela had been appointed acting director-general.
Joemat-Pettersson has come under pressure from various industry players, including red meat and ostrich producers, who suffered losses after disease outbreaks had led to a ban on exports. In the fisheries sector, the Navy had to take over management of the department's maritime patrol vessels on April 1 for at least a year. Recently, the fisheries sector faced the possibility that SA would suffer heavy financial losses if it failed to facilitate the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation of the country's deep sea trawler-caught hake catch.
Agri SA president Johannes Möller said Zita's suspension did not come as a surprise as his posting was based on the principle of "cadre deployment". In the past, Agri SA described Zita's manner of addressing commercial agriculture problems as "indicative of his ignorance, and sluggish". The Democratic Alliance's Annette Steyn, welcomed Zita's suspension. "The department cannot afford a leadership vacuum," she said. Zita's lawyer, Max Boxwana, said the minister had suspended his client without giving reasons, which he had now requested.
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