The Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has confirmed investigations into the role played by politicians in the project were almost complete with her office having identified all implicated parties and served them with notices. Releasing several investigative reports during a media briefing on Wednesday, Mkhwebane said some parties who were served with notices requested more time to adequately consider its content before preparing their responses and her office will soon wrap up the report and publish it.

OFM News last month reported on how Mkhwebane has suffered another legal setback when the Constitutional Court dismissed her bid to appeal a High Court judgment which set aside her Estina Dairy Farm report.

Prior to the Constitutional Court ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in June dismissed her attempt to appeal the Pretoria High Court judgment against her regarding the same controversial Gupta-linked investigation report.

The SCA ruled that Mkhwebane should pay at least 85% of the costs in her personal capacity. This, after the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Council for the Promotion of the South African Constitution (Casac) took the report on judicial review, stating that it was nothing but a white-washing, seeking to protect politicians as it failed to indicate the role played by senior politicians such as the former Free State Premier Ace Magashule and former Agriculture MEC, Mosebenzi Zwane.

The SCA dismissed her application, indicating that there was no reasonable prospect of success in an appeal and there is no other compelling reason why an appeal should be heard.

OFM News previously also reported that over R220 million, earmarked to assist upcoming farmers in Vrede through this project, was looted from the province without any intended beneficiaries seeing a single cent.

OFM News