Executives get the sack over Gushungo sale

Delaval has remained tight-lipped about the reasons for suddenly parting company with the managing director of its South African arm Leon Lilje and one of his senior managers, Rykie Visser. According to the groups spokesperson, Benoit Passard, they left to pursue other career opportunities. I want to stress that Lilje and Visser were not dismissed from DeLaval, Passard said. He went on to say that after a breach of the companys internal code of conduct, an agreement was reached that the pair would pursue outside careers. All I can add is that had DeLaval International known from the beginning about a deal to sell products to Grace Mugabes business, it wouldnt have been allowed to go through, he said.

But South African farmers publication, Farmers Weekly (SA), said that Lilje and Visser were linked to the multimillion rand sale of DeLaval equipment to Gushungo Dairy Estate and that their departure from the equipment manufacturer may be linked to that matter. The farmers paper quoted an anonymous source within the South African dairy industry saying that Lilje and Visser had been made into fall guys for DeLaval to protect its international reputation. DeLaval International must reportedly adhere to the strict sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Mugabes and other Zanu (PF) officials. I heard that Lilje and Visser were asked for a dairy equipment quote by a third party, the source told the weekly. After the quote was sent off, the money for the equipment was apparently deposited into DeLaval South Africas bank account. The pair had the equipment delivered somewhere, and the next thing they knew, it was on Grace Mugabes farm. I dont believe they knew what was happening.

Milk Producers Organisation of SA CEO Bertus de Jongh said he had heard of Lilje and Visser leaving DeLaval, but that he was not aware why they had left. These guys were well-respected in the South African dairy industry. They have done a lot for the industry over the years. Its a great pity that we seem to have lost them now, De Jongh said. Passard confirmed that Monica de Witt had been appointed as DeLaval SAs new managing director. He said she already had extensive experience in DeLaval Internationals operations and was therefore an ideal candidate to take over.

Grace was allocated Gushungo under her husbands land reforms that also saw senior members of ZANU PF, their friends and allies including many members of the AAG handed some of the best farms seized from whites. Critics blame Zimbabwe’s troubles on repression and wrong polices by Mugabe such as his land reforms that displaced established white commercial farmers and replaced them with either incompetent or inadequately funded black farmers leading to a massive drop in farm production.