During a visit to Bloemfontein, he says he previously prepared an affidavit with a list of suspects to be able to investigate the matter of the project. He says it remains clear that former Agriculture MEC Zwane and former Premier Magashule must be prosecuted.

The NPA in December 2018 provisionally withdrew the case against the Gupta family and associates who were linked to the project on the grounds that the Agriculture Department paid over R200 million into their Estina Nedbank account, which was thereafter moved to the Bank of Baroda pool account. He says despite a positive initial move to make arrests in the matter, more still needs to be done, and Zwane and Magashule should face criminal charges because they defrauded the people of Vrede.

OFM News previously reported that the DA leader in the Free State Legislature, Roy Jankielsohn, Monday told the commission that more than 80 intended beneficiaries are still being side-lined.

The Gupta family and their associates allegedly looted more than R200 million meant for the project to help emerging farmers. It is alleged that the Provincial Agriculture Department spent over R220 million on the project, yet financial statements showed that only R2 million can be accounted for.

According to the leaked #GuptaEmails, large portions of the money earmarked for the project was used to fund the family’s Sun City wedding in 2013.

“As you know, we are even challenging the initial report issued by the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, in the sense that we took it to court and I will not shy away from the matter.” Those South African farmers suffered because of corruption that robbed the people of Vrede and we must continue to fight,” Maimane says.

OFM News