This, despite having been made promises by the Free State Government. Testifying before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry, Dhlamini says their calls over suspected irregularities at the project have fallen on deaf ears despite several meetings with former MEC for Free State Agriculture, Mosebenzi Zwane, and his HOD, Peter Thabethe. 

Dhlamini revealed that there was a time when their IDs were taken by the government and they were requested to fill out various documents without a clear explanation of the purpose thereof. He says he believed there was criminal activity going on with the Vrede project and their ID's were used. He adds that they were for the first time informed that the FDC will be taking over the project in 2014, shortly before that actually happened.

He highlighted there was a meeting held at the Town Hall and that the FDC was also there, intending to nominate new beneficiaries, which he objected to on the grounds that beneficiaries had long ago been identified.

Dhlamini’s testimony come after the Deputy Director-General for Corporate Administration and Coordination in the Free State Premier’s Office, Albertus Venter, said the controversial Vrede Dairy Project would have been great for beneficiaries had it been executed properly.

Venter, during his testimony, told the Zondo Commission that he was initially excited about the project and thought it was a good idea when he first heard about it.

The DA leader in the Free State Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn, yesterday told the commission that more than 80 beneficiaries that the project was meant to assist, are still being sidelined.

The Gupta family and their associates allegedly looted more than R200 million meant for the project to help emerging farmers. This after the Agriculture Department paid over R200 million into the Gupta-linked Estina’s Nedbank account, which was thereafter moved to the Bank of Baroda pool account.

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