Company that allegedly gifted cattle to Zuma refuses to provide report detailing contracts worth R600m

A company that allegedly facilitated a gift of cattle to former president Jacob Zuma at the behest of former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo has refused to provide the national government with a report on all the contracts it has undertaken for the North West government, which amounted to more than R600 million.

The national Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has initiated litigation against the company in question – AgriDelight – to compel it to provide the report.

This was revealed in an answer by Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza to a written parliamentary question by DA MP Noko Masipa.

Masipa asked if a full report on all the contracts undertaken by AgriDelight Training and Consulting had been compiled, and what the total value of the contracts undertaken by the specified company since it started work in the North West was.

“The close out report on all contracts undertaken by AgriDelight Training and Consulting has not yet been furnished by the company. This was despite several requests from the department to the implementing agent,” said Didiza.

“In a bid to resolve this matter, the department is in a litigation process with AgriDelight to source this document. The matter is before the court and in line with the directives on section 100 interventions.

‘Gift’ of 24 cows and bull

“The total amount of all transactions between the department and AgriDelight Training and Consulting contract from November 1, 2014, to October 31, 2017, is R604 048 828.18 as per the financial systems report. The figure includes a 10% management fee for AgriDelight.”

Last year, after unrest in the province, the North West government was placed under administration in terms of Section 100 of the Constitution, leading to a wide-scale investigation into maladministration in the province. Mahumapelo then resigned as premier.

A task team was appointed to look into the province’s affairs, and one of its tasks was to assess all the project management unit (PMU) contracts signed by Mahumapelo, News24 reported.

One such PMU contract signed was with AgriDelight, part of a project that reportedly resulted in Zuma receiving a “gift” of 24 cows and a bull.

In April 2018, the Sunday Times reported the Hawks were investigating Mahumapelo and Zuma for this “gift”. Mahumapelo reportedly asked AgriDelight to deliver the cattle to Zuma at his homestead in Nkandla. AgriDelight allegedly paid the breeder R500 000 for the cattle, while the province paid R1.5 million for the transaction.

At the time, Mahumapelo denied he had any knowledge of the gift.

In May 2018, the Mail&Guardian reported AgriDelight had secured contracts worth hundreds of millions of rand from the North West government and allegedly funnelled funds, farms and livestock to senior provincial politicians, including Mahumapelo.

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