The R280 million Estina dairy farm corruption case, in which former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane was implicated, has been postponed to January 2023.
Zwane and his co-accused, including nine companies, on Wednesday appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in connection with the controversial R280 million Estina dairy farm project in the Free State.
Zwane who was the MEC for agriculture and rural development at the time of the project- faces charges of fraud, theft and corruption and money laundering over the alleged looting of the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through a company known as Estina.
The former MEC who is out on R10 000 bail, appeared in court alongside Peter Thabethe, Sipathi Dhlamini, Takisi Masiteng, Kamal Vasram, former Sahara Computers employee Ugeshni Govenderand director of Gupta owned company Islandsite Investments Ronica Ragavan.
Zwane and Govender were both arrested in late September and released on bail of R10 000 each. Their bail applications were not opposed by the state.
The Estina dairy farm project became embroiled into allegations of state capture after it was found that funds were stolen to fund the Gupta’s lavish wedding at Sun City resort in 2013.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate (ID), on 5 July 2012, Estina entered into an agreement with the Free State Department of Agriculture, to establish and implement a dairy farm project in Vrede which would benefit the previously disadvantaged farmers and to uplift the community.
“Investigations revealed that no proper tender procedures were followed with regard to the decision to fund the proposed Vrede Dairy Project. Estina did not adhere to its obligations in terms of the agreement as only the department paid its contribution into bank accounts held by Estina,” said Sindisiwe Seboka, ID national spokesperson.
During his testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture in May last year, Zwane conceded that the Estina dairy farm project was handed badly.
Source: Times Live, The Citizen, SABC News, ENCA, image from Twitter: @lesibadj