Zondo asks as the Vrede Dairy Project continues how much the taxpayers are investing in it, from the time it started until now. Masiteng says that a court order instructed the department to keep the project going, he could prepare something on the amount.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng says he had never seen any document in the possession or custody of the Free State Department of Agriculture which came from Paras and signed by Paras people in which they said they were part to the whole arrangement.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng says he recently heard that Estina was a dairy farm.
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
He is asked if it would shock him as the head of the department if someone were to give a dairy project to an IT company.#StateCaptureInquiry
Gcabashe asks Masiteng about Kamal Vasram and Masiteng says he met Vasram for the first time when he was arrested on 14 February 2018, and then appeared in court the following day. They were co-accused in a criminal case which is now withdrawn.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Gcabashe says that attempts were made to contact Parasa by the legal teams. Masiteng doesn't know about HOD Thatbete going to India to meet with Paras.Masiteng says he only had one meeting with the beneficiaries he was not involved in the project so its difficult for him to answer questions, he says he feels cornered.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Adv,Gcabashe says the feasibility study done on the project stated that the project would lose money in the first and second year of it existence.
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng says he is not able to say if the economists assessed the feasibility of the project.#StateCaptureInquiry
Adv,Gcabashe says the feasibility study done on the project stated that the project would lose money in the first and second year of it existence.
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng says he is not able to say if the economists assessed the feasibility of the project.#StateCaptureInquiry
Gcabashe says if R53 million went the dairy farm, other projects would have been overlooked. She also asks how the shortfall for the project was raised if the Free State government had planned to spend at least R114 millon a year on the Dairy farm.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng says of the total R140 million of the budget allocated from the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme to the Free State government, only R53 millon went to Vrede.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Zondo requests a short adjournment before proceedings continue, as they are expected to run later than usual again. Zondo adjourns for 10 minutes.
Gcabashe wants to know where the Vrede Dairy farm project idea came from and how it fitted in the departments strategy. Masiteng says what he understood was that it was a project under the Mohuma Mobung strategy.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Gcabashe moves Masiteng's testimony along, and asks where the actual idea for the Vrede dairy farm project came from. Masiteng says it started with a focus on the Mohuma Mobung strategy, focused on farming in rural areas.
Masiteng says the CFO signed off on the exco agreement, and the deviation from normal procedures. He says she could have refused to sign off on the document, but says that exco resolutions are a "must do" and if you refused, it would be like rendering the whole exco redundant.
#StateCaptureInquiry Masiteng has gone through the documents he signed. There was an exco agreement that existed already on the matter. He says the HOD explained that he was deviating from normal procurement processes because 'they were bringing money.'
He was instructed to sign
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019A document seeking the approval for the Dairy farm appears to have Masiteng's signature on it. He says he was in China and an acting director signed on his behalf.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
A document seeking approval for the dairy farm is in question - Masiteng says he never authorised the person who had signed on his behalf, where the documents indicate his name. Masiteng says he was not even consulted, and was in China at the time.
#StateCaptureInquiry Gcabashe says the document was signed on 26 May 2012 and the commission has confirmed that Masiteng was traveling on the day.
Masiteng says someone else signed on his behalf. Masiteng says he did not give the person authority to sign on his behalf.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019Zondo asks Masiteng if it is his understanding that a subordinate is required to carry out an instruction, even if the instruction is unlawful. Masiteng says no, unless the superior says they have done the necessary work and ensured everything is right. If a subordinate does not feel comfortable with an instruction, they must put their dissent in writing, says Masiteng.
Masiteng says there is no obligation on the subordinate to do anything they do not agree with.
Maseteng says the responsibility of the CFO is also to manage the budget of the structure.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng explains that the HOD reports to the MEC, who reports to the premier. The premier can give directions to the MEC.
Gcabashe asks Masiteng if the premier can instruct an HOD who to contract with. Masiteng says if the request is made, the HOD needs to alert the accounting officer/CFO.
#StateCaptureInquiry Masiteng explains that Thuto Kganye who has been mentioned here in some testimonies would be appointed by the HOD of the Department of Agriculture, unless delegated.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Masiteng explains who Alta Meyer and (George) Madiba were and how they fit into the department. Meyer and Madiba were both brought up in the earlier testimony of the Vrede dairy farm project beneficiaries.
Masiteng also clarifies that Thuto Kganye, also mentioned by the beneficiaries, was a "food security officer". He refers to Kganye as a "foot soldier".
Dhlamini alleged that Kganye was a "spy" for Zwane.
Masiteng says this has now been corrected, there is now only one HOD, and one MEC , he says in 2013 Thabethe became the sole HOD..#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng explains in detail the organisational structure of the department. He says the political head responsible for the department is the MEC, who was Mosebenzi Zwane at the time, in 2012.
Masiteng clarifies that there were separate HODs for the Department of Rural Development and for the Department of Agriculture. But this remains one department. 'One MEC and two HODs'#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Advocate Gcabashe wants to know how Thabethe became the HOD of the department. Masiteng says in 2010 Thabethe was appointed in the Rural development HOD and only in 2012 did he move to agriculture.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Masiteng briefly summarises his qualifications and background, says he joined the Department of Agriculture in QwaQwa when it was still part of the homelands. He resigned from the department to become a lecturer, but returned to the department in 2002.
Masiteng confirms that he knows Peter Thabethe, former head of the department, and also worked under him.
#StateCaptureInquiry : resumes with evidence from the Acting Head of Department (Agriculture & Rural Development in the Free State) Dr Tankisi Masiteng @TeamNews24 . pic.twitter.com/6GSJgYmnab
— Canny Maphanga (@CannyMaphanga) July 24, 2019
Back from the break, the commission will now hear testimony from the next witness, Dr Takisi Masiteng, acting head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Free State.
Advocate Leah Gcabashe will be leading evidence.
Ncongwane wraps up his testimony by corroborating Dhlamini's evidence about the death threats.
Zondo thanks and excuses Ncongwane.
Zondo calls for the lunch adjournment. Back at 14:15.
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says he was part of a group of farmers who travelled to Bloemfontein to celebrate when Mosebenzi Zwane was appointed Agriculture MEC because he was from their area. They thought their lives would change.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says Mr Roy Jankielsohn noticed that this project was only going to benefit Indian people and there were no black beneficiaries.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
#StateCaptureInquiry Jankielsohn was the first witness who appeared on Monday. Ncongwane says he told them the project was irregular from the beginning. He says Jankielsohn noticed the people who would benefit would be Indian people.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) July 24, 2019
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says the first name of the project was Mohoma Mobung, then it was changed to Vrede Dairy Project and the it was Community Dairy. The Democratic Alliance asked what the actual name of the project was.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says they had concerns, and their concerns were that the time had lapsed and that FDC had already taken over management of the dairy project by then.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says they forced Madiba to attend the meeting since FDC was no longer coming back to them in two weeks time as they promised and that it was almost a year after.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says they had asked Madiba at the meeting if they are going to have to keep on re-registering as beneficiaries each time there is a new chief director. Madiba told them that he was new in the field and he needed some clarity.
Ncongwane says Madiba told them that he needed the beneficiaries to be screened. Ncongwane says one of the community members asked if this was a government project or a private project, and he says they were told it was a government project.
Ncongwana says he remembers the meeting they held with Mr Madiba. Madiba started at the Meyers office then later came back with the Mayor and some other officials.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says Mr Madiba addressed the meeting as if he was the one who had organised it.
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane now speaks of a meeting the farmers had with Mr Madiba.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
DCJ Zondo reminds advocate Buthelezi that they want to hear testimony that Noncgwane feels Dhlamini did not cover.#StateCaptureInquiry
— State Capture Commission (@StateCaptureCom) July 24, 2019
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says a member of the DA brought the media to them, specifically the Mail and Guardian.
— Gaopalelwe Phalaetsile (@Gao_Phala) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane clarifies that it was the farmers who selected the committee, and not Alta Meyer. While Meyer said a committee must be set up, it was the farmers who selected the people.
Ncongwane says June Mahlaba was chosen as chairperson, Lindiwe Masiteng as secretary, and James Ngqusini as the treasurer. The committee was meant to be the eyes and ears of the farmer, says Ncongwane, but no updates were ever given.
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says it was Meyer who selected the committee who would represent the farmers.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says the committee that had been selected at a later stage was expected to take minutes. He says as such, dates and months are not easy to remember.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says most of the people who attended these meetings were old, and as people who grew up on the farms, they did not expect that they would end up before the commission, so there were no official records of meetings held for the project.
Ncongwane says he gave up on his requests for land from the municipality. Then, in early 2012, he heard at meetings in the area that there would be a dairy farm which would be unveiled.
Ncongwane says he was the chairperson of the National African Farmers Union in Vrede.
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says the response that he got from the Mayor's office said that his request made no sense. He approached a member of Parliament who told him that his statement was clear.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane says the letter he had written to Vrede mayor, John Motaung, requesting land to farm on from the government, was clear and written in English. Motaung, however, told him that he did not understand it - Ncongwane says he did not ask Motaung which parts he did not understand.
#StateCaptureInquiry Ncongwane says the farmers were told that they would have a better success if they had 25 cows. They then formed a cooperative called the Emerging Milk Producer Organisation.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Ncongwane confirms that he resides in Vrede, and he is a cattle and dairy farmer.
Ncongwane is also giving his testimony in isiZulu, with the help of the translator.
Back from the break, the next witness - Meshack Mpaleni Ncongwane - is sworn in and takes his seat.
Ncongwane is another of the Vrede farmers who were meant to benefit from the Estina dairy farm project.
#StateCaptureInquiry Zondo says the report will incorporate Dhlamini's evidence when it compiles its report. He says the commission will take a supplementary statement from Dhlamini focusing on the threats to his life.
— POWER987News (@POWER987News) July 24, 2019
Zondo thanks Dhlamini for coming forward and providing very helpful testimony on the Vrede dairy farm project, and excuses him from the witness stand.
Zondo calls for the morning tea adjournment. Back in 15 minutes.
#StateCaptureInquiry Zondo says many high profile government officials who have information that can help the commission are not coming forward but want the public to believe they support this commission, he says some of them are afraid of losing their jobs.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) July 24, 2019
Dhlamini tells Zondo that his request is that the Vrede dairy farm project be closed down as it was not meant for them, as the community, but it was created for thieves.
Dhlamini says the farmers should have been 100% shareholders of the project. Dhlamini also says the dairy project has many issues - stock is being stolen and there's no success that will ever come out of this project.
has many issues - stock is being stolen and there's no success that will ever come out of this project.
