Mkhwebane ‘protects’ Zwane in Vrede report
● Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane ignored evidence implicating Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane in her watered-down report of the controversial Vrede dairy farm project.
According to insiders, Mkhwebane was presented with information by investigators that pointed to Zwane. However, she refused to include it in her final report.
Zwane is not mentioned in the report despite evidence that he gave the dairy project the go-ahead.
Investigators from the Free State office of the public protector have spent four years on the Vrede farm case. The project diverted R220-million in state money to the Gupta linked company Estina, which ran the farm.
Mkhwebane has rejected opposition claims her report was a whitewash because it did not mention the Guptas’ role in the project, saying her limited resources forced her to focus on one part of the project.
But insiders said the public protector had overlooked evidence indicating that Zwane instructed officials to illegally approve the project and the payments to Estina.
Two sources close to the investigation told the Sunday Times that Mkhwebane argued with her team against suggestions that Zwane be held accountable.
“The evidence was pointing in his [Zwane’s] direction but she said it was not a priority,” one source said.
The source said that Mkhwebane insisted that including Zwane “was not part of the official complaint”.
“She watered down the whole investigation to protect Zwane,” said another source who would not be named for fear of reprisal.
Mkhwebane’s report was released on Friday and came after the Asset Forfeiture Unit had seized the Vrede farm following a court application.
Last month the Hawks raided Free State premier Ace Magashule’s office and the province’s agriculture department, where Zwane held sway before being promoted to President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet.
Detectives were seeking evidence of who gave the go-ahead for the project.
A prosecutor involved in the case said it was hoped the public protector’s report would help to determine if Zwane had given instructions to those officials who were named in it.
The original Vrede investigation began while Thuli Madonsela was public protector. It was led by Sphelo Samuel, the head of the public protector’s office in the Free State, and Reginald Ndou, a manager in the office.
Mkhwebane’s report did find that the Vrede project was riddled with irregularities, negligence and maladministration.
Her main finding was that the Free State department of agriculture contravened the directives of the Public Finance Management Act.
She recommended that Magashule should “initiate and institute disciplinary action against all implicated officials involved in the Vrede dairy project”.
She noted in the report that the agreement between the Free State department of agriculture and Estina was invalid.
The report also found that the payments made to Estina were not in line with directives of the National Treasury.
Mkhwebane blamed the head of department, Peter Thabethe, for not complying with the law.
Mkhwebane’s spokeswoman, Cleopatra Mosana, did not respond to requests for comment. Efforts to reach Mkhwebane herself were unsuccessful.
Mkhwebane told SABC News on Friday that her office had not been able to conduct a thorough investigation because it did not have enough money.