Estina: His friends were killed, but he fights on

Slim-built Vrede cattle farmer Ephraim Dhlamini is no Samson or Tarzan. But when it comes to defying persistent threats from individuals who are in cahoots with Free State authorities on the failed multimillion-rand Gupta-linked Estina dairy project, Dhlamini is not afraid to pay with his life by speaking out against wrongdoing.

Determined to expose the Estina bungles during his recent testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that saw would-be beneficiaries being excluded by former provincial agriculture MEC Mosebenzi Zwane and former head of department Peter Thabethe, soft-spoken Dhlamini told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo he has been forced to carry a gun when going to church, “to protect myself and my family”.

“If it is not my time to die, I firmly believe that nothing will happen to me,” said Dhlamini.

In an interview yesterday with The Citizen, Dhlamini said the killings of his colleagues would not deter him from exposing graft and malfeasance.

Among intended beneficiaries murdered were Moses Chauke, Philemon Ngwenya and Vusi Mlaba.

“When myself and fellow farmer Meshack Ngcongwane went before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to inform him about the human cost of the project on the impoverished Vrede, we were not afraid of any reprisals,” Dhlamini said.

“We are full of appreciation for Zondo for saying at our hearings that the commission’s legal team should look into what can be done about our protection.”

Explaining the form of assistance Zondo pledged to offer Dhlamini, commission spokesperson Mbuyiselo Stemela said: “What the chairperson stated was that he would like the legal team, the administration and the investigators to do what they normally do when people who appear before the commission are under threat – to see what can be done.

“He (Zondo) would also like to establish why Mr Dhlamini has not been given any report-back, either by the Hawks or the Vrede station commander, about the threats to his life brought to their attention.

“The deputy chief justice wants to know what is being done about investigating these threats and whether there is enough evidence to arrest people implicated,” said Stemela.

“Once the commission’s legal team has spoken to law enforcement authorities, it must report back to Mr Dhlamini and not do what the Hawks and the Vrede police station commander has done.”

Chauke, the first farmer to be murdered, was killed after being hijacked in February 2013, and eventually died in hospital in May of the same year. After Chauke and Ngwenya’s funerals, Dhlamini and Ngcongwane were threatened by known individuals that they were “next in line to be killed”.

Warden farmer Mlaba’s case could also not be properly investigated by local police.

“He was also an emerging farmer who was supposed to have benefited from the project,” said farmer Doctor Radebe during his testimony.

“But because he was standing on the opposite side, he was excluded and brutally killed after being mowed down by a hail of bullets from a killer.

“I worked on his case and can assure you it was a pure cover-up,” said Radebe. “The case just disappeared, with the investigator ducking questions on progress.

“The case ended up like that, with no one arrested till today.”

From the appointment of Estina – a black economic empowerment information technology company tasked with overseeing the implementation of the project to Zwane’s church choir having been flown to India for “training” – the venture had all the hallmarks of failure.

The Estina hearings are expected to resume on August 12 after a two-week commission recess.

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