State Capture: Zwane claims innocence in Gupta-linked R250m project

The Free State’s former Agriculture MEC Mosebenzi Zwane has told the State Capture Commission that he had no idea that Estina, a company with links to the controversial Gupta family, had “partnered” with the provincial government for the Vrede dairy farm project.

Zwane returned to the commission on Thursday, 13 May 2021, where he faced questions pertaining to his questionable tenure in the Free State, under the leadership of former premier and current ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule.

The 2012 Vrede dairy farm project was worth a staggering R250 million and aimed at empowering emerging black farmers, however it was later discovered that the funds were funnelled to several offshore Gupta-linked accounts instead.

The project was cancelled in August 2014, however Estina continued receiving payments until 2016. Having been the province’s agriculture MEC at the time, one would think Zwane would at least know about the “flagship” project, given the hundreds of millions pumped into it. However he claims he had no idea of the Guptas’ involvement in the deal, something which the commission’s chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, also found odd.

“I find it difficult to understand that on a project that is so important to the province and your department, and given that you could have been questioned about the project at any time, you didn’t know that Estina played a role in the project,” DCJ Zondo said.

Mosebenzi Zwane ‘didn’t know’ Guptas paid for India trip

Further being quizzed about the Estina dairy farm project, Mosebenzi Zwane also had to explain a trip he took to India, which he claimed was to meet agriculture ministers in that country, as well as the CEO of a company which the provincial government would be doing work with. Zwane alleged that the Free State government had footed the bill for the trip and offered to provide provide proof of this, however there were some discrepancies. The trip had occurred in October 2021, but the documents showed dates for December – two months later.

However, DCJ Zondo seemed to doubt past of what Zwane was saying.

“I’m sure, Mr Zwane, you can see the picture that emerges. You’re going all the way to India to meet with somebody that you believe is the CEO of the company that the department has an agreement with. Actually, it’s wrong. There’s no agreement, but here is Estina locally. You don’t know about them, you don’t go and do oversight there,” he said.