The Free State agricultural project - which fingers prominent ANC leaders and the Gupta family at the centre of massive corruption - is back in the spotlight. The Commission spokesperson, Mbuyiselo Stemela, says the sitting will deal with Estina-related testimony, and is set to hear how former premier, Ace Magashule, former Agriculture MEC, Mosebenzi Zwane, and members of the Gupta family allegedly looted millions of rands from the project meant to benefit emerging farmers. 

OFM News previously reported, it is alleged that the provincial agriculture department spent over R220 million on it, yet financial statements show that only R2 million can be accounted for.

The DA has meanwhile recently called on the newly-appointed boss at the National Prosecuting Authority to reinstate the charges against all those implicated in the saga, including some members of the Gupta family. In May 2019 the High Court in Pretoria overturned Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report on the project as unconstitutional and invalid, and set it aside.

The court application was brought by the DA and the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac). During the commission, the bank statement showed that the Free State government paid more than R330 million to the Indian company, Estina, between July 2014 and April 2016.

The company was supposed to have reinvested that same amount of money back into the scheme, which was meant to benefit farmers in the town of Vrede. Bank statements submitted at the Free State High Court during court proceedings by the NPA against those implicated, however, did not show these transactions but rather showed that the money was paid into the company's Bank of Baroda account in India. 

Following which, the NPA then provisionally withdrew its charges against those who were implicated at the Free State High Court last year.

OFM News