This is according to  Roy Jankielsohn DA Leader in the Provincial Legislature and the Caucus Leader in reaction to the former provincial MEC of  Finance, Elsabe Rockman, who testified before the  Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Rockman said this project was comparatively small as opposed to accruals worth billions faced by the provincial health and education departments. She testified these projects demanded urgent attention. Jankielsohn is of opinion the Gupta-linked Estina dairy farm might not have been a priority project for Rockman, but it was a priority for the Gupta family. He says there were many discrepancies in Rockman's testimony. He adds the project's legitimacy also raises questions, because a project can not exist without its beneficiaries, and there are still no beneficiaries involved.  

The constant plight of hunger and food shortages are the biggest challenges facing South Africa. This is according to the MEC of Agriculture in the Norhern Cape, Nomandla Bloem, who delivered a keynote address at the Vaalhars Testing Centre near Jan Kempdorp on Tuesday. This event formed part of World Food Day, which is annually commemorated on October 16, across the world. Bloem said over two million South Africans survive on a meal a day, while more than 2.5 million children are living below the food poverty line. About 2% of all households grow the majority of their own food. Bloem said that is why access to land is important, but inadequate access to water, equipment and extension services still contribute to communities struggling to be productive. She said that is why the department's objectives for World Food Day included among others providing information to communities on the National Policy and Food and Nutrition Security.  

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Free State Agriculture (FSA) welcomes the revised Rural Safety Strategy which was recently released. Chairperson of FSA's Rural Safety Committee, Jakkals le Roux, says the revised strategy aims to ensure safer agricultural communities, but involvement by all stakeholders is needed in order for the strategy to be implemented successfully. He says FSA urges all role players to actively participate in an effort to combat crime. FSA also requests police to adhere to the specific timelines for the revised strategy's implementation and evaluation. Training workshops between police, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and organised agriculture need to take place on a district level. This to ensure its implementation. The revised Rural Safety Strategy was launched last week by Bheki Cele, Minister of Police, and Khehla Sitole, National Police Commissioner, in Makhado in Limpopo.

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