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By Daniel Friedman

Digital news editor

3 minute read

25 Jul 2019

12:39 pm

I was attacked by Zwane’s ‘private forces’ for exposing Estina’s 45 dead cows – Radebe

More witnesses at the Zondo commission have alleged that former minister Mosebenzi Zwane hired ruthless security to ensure the truth would not be exposed.

Former minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Joseph Zwane at the Africa Mining Indaba on February 8, 2016 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town. Picture: Gallo Images

At the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on Thursday, a former Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor in Vrede in the Free State, Doctor Radebe, described a physical attack and threats of violence he had received after going to the media with reports of how 45 dead cows were dumped in the river.

The commission is currently probing the failed multimillion-rand Estina Dairy Farm project in Vrede.

In early 2014, reports surfaced that the farm’s sole director, Kamal Vasram, believed to be an associate of the Guptas, oversaw the dumping of 45 cows into a stream in Vrede.

Radebe told the commission that this stream was used as drinking water by local communities.

“Some were totally completely decomposed and some were still fresh,” he said of the cows.

He then told evidence leader advocate Zinhle Buthelezi that he was physically attacked and pepper-sprayed after reporting the dumped cows to both the media and the department of environmental affairs.

Radebe alleged former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane hired security without following the correct procedures, who he described as dodgy characters. He believes they are the ones who attacked him.

READ MORE: Estina ‘pocketed R160m without delivering services’ at Vrede dairy project

“People around Vrede became violent and angry with me [after] I reported the matter to the media. I was attacked by people we believe were Mr Zwane’s private forces,” he said, adding that they told him he was preventing the ANC from doing its work.

Thuto Kganye, described on Wednesday by one of the dairy project’s beneficiaries, Ephraim Dhlamini, as an “impimpi” (spy) for Zwane, was mentioned by Radebe, as well as a “tenderpreneur” called Frans Mokoena.

One of his attackers later apologised, Radebe said, while another said he was powerless to stand in the way of the ANC.

When he attempted to report his attack to the police they told him his case was “politically motivated” and therefore had to be dealt with by another division in Bethlehem. He said that to this day, no one had opened a case or contacted him.

Radebe alleges that others were turned away from the police station after trying to lay charges after being attacked by the same “security” personnel in Vrede.

Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo expressed concern that the police did not allow charges to be laid, particularly since Dhlamini had testified on Wednesday that the police had not investigated death threats he had received. He asked his legal team to follow up on this and report back to him.

The commission continues.

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