Vrede Dairy Project findings to be concluded month end, Mkhwebane confirms

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane said her investigations into the role played by politicians in the Vrede Dairy Project were almost complete with the report expected to be released at the end of the month.

Tabling several investigation reports, the Public Protector’s office released findings, where appropriate, including remedial action in respect of 14 reports which ranged from irregular staff appointments, the plight of refugees, whistleblower victimisation, abuse of public resources and executive ethics.

Mkhwebane confirmed receiving a lot of queries from the public on the progress regarding the Vrede investigation, and the role of politicians, as well as the plight of the supposed beneficiaries of the Estina Dairy Project.

“Only earlier this month we were able to serve implicated parties with notices in terms of Section 7(9) of the Public Protector Act. We had hoped that we would get their responses on time and have the report ready for this briefing. Some of the parties requested more time to adequately consider the contents of the notices before preparing their responses.”

Mkhwebane said parties were allowed reasonable extensions to deadlines so they can adequately respond to potential adverse findings.

“We expect that, by the last week of this month, we would have received all the responses so that we can wrap up the investigation and publish the findings.”

Mkhwebane previously came under fire for failing to indicate the role played by politicians in her first report, completed in 2015, with opposition parties calling it nothing but a whitewash.

The report into the multimillion-rand project focused on Treasury and Public Finance Management Act violations.

Describing the initial report, DA said the report failed to outline the role played by then premier – now ANC secretary-general – Ace Magashule and former agriculture MEC Mosebenzi Zwane, among other politicians, nor did it outline how anyone would be held accountable for the failed project.

It is alleged that the more than R220 million earmarked to assist emerging black farmers in Vrede was looted from the provincial agriculture department.

Other reports in the pipeline included an investigation into alleged maladministration involving the irregular appointment of staff, irregular salary increases, financial mismanagement procurement, procurement irregularities and conflict of interest within the city of Johannesburg during the time of former mayor Herman Mashaba.

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