The Agricultural Economist David Andreas Maree on Monday 12 August 2019 said after R5 million was budgeted for a milking parlour, a further R15 million was also budgeted for without specifications. He says the R15 million was budgeted for under the heading of other unspecified equipment and says this could not be investigated to assist as to what were the other types of equipment in this regard.

OFM News previously reported that the former official at the Provincial Treasury, Anna Susanna Fourie, said the non-reporting of assets regarding the project in the financial statements of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department, nor by the Free State Development Corporation, was a matter of great concern to her. Giving testimony before the commission, Maree says he does not see why the government had to be involved in such a project as it was going to be a commercial project. He adds that the costs were too high.

Maree says it also did not make sense why a dairy farm project would be done in Vrede, he says he would found a different province based on the landscape. He adds that from his analysis it appears the person who drafted the feasibility study for the Vrede dairy farm project had little knowledge of the dairy farm industry in the country. Earlier Fourie told the commission that when Estina and the Department cancelled their contract, the normal procedure would be for the Department to take back the assets of the Vrede farm, instead of the FDC just taking them over.

She told the commission that there were several issues she experienced in her job as a Deputy Director-General, including irregular expenditure and transfer payments, but unaccountability and non-reporting of assets worth millions was of the greatest concern.

OFM News