DA to act on ‘whitewash’ report
THE DA is to take the public protector’s report on the Vrede dairy farm on review after calling it a whitewash.
The Vrede dairy farm project is surrounded by allegations that it was used to benefit the Gupta family.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane announced the legal step yesterday at a media conference in Cape Town.
“It has become clear that the report is a whitewash‚” Maimane said.
“In fact‚ the public protector’s action and report on this issue can only be described as disgraceful.”
Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane released the report on Friday.
Maimane said it did not take into account the widely published Gupta e-mails that showed how the family was linked to the project.
About R220-million was allegedly stolen from the project.
Mkhwebane found the Free State Agriculture Department contravened the prescripts of the Public Finance Management Act.
“There is no effort shown to probe the true corruption at the heart of the Vrede scandal‚” the DA leader said. He accused ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane of planning and executing the scheme. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
“Mkhwebane cannot blame lack of capacity for her embarrassing report‚” Maimane said.
DA lawyers were drafting the legal documents and would launch an application still this week, he said.
DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said the application would likely be lodged at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Meanwhile, parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and correctional services has summoned Mkhwebane over the Zwane and the dairy farm accusation.
Chairman Mathole Motshekga said the committee was extremely concerned.
Zwane has defended his relationship with the Gupta family‚ also associates of President Jacob Zuma. Last year, Zwane told MPs that such allegations were part of an attempt to assassinate his character.
Magashule has said the law must take its course but that the controversy should not be used to oust him from the ANC.