State Capture started in the Free State

Note to Editors: The following member statement was delivered by the Leader of the Official Opposition, Roy Jankielsohn (MPL), during a sitting of the Free State Provincial Legislature at the Fourth Raadzaal in Mangaung today.

I have written to the new Public Protector, Adv. Busisiwe Mkwebane, requesting feedback on the release of a report regarding the investigation into various aspects relating to the Vrede Dairy Project.

Long before this controversial contract project was implemented, state capture was crafted, implemented, tested, perfected, and exported from the Free State to individuals like Zuma.

Although I have emphasised some of these issues previously in the Legislature, let me remind you again of the Gupta links to this project.

The contract with ESTINA was approved by the Office of Premier Ace Magashule and ESTINA was irregularly paid R184 million directly into its account by the provincial government.

Atul Gupta purchased a property in Vrede for the use of Estina’s project co-ordinator, Chandrama Prasad, who was the former secretary to the Chief Minister of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, the Guptas home state in India.

The Guptas and Minister Mosebenzi Zwane who initiated this project are known to have met at ESTINA’s Vrede property.

The same Chief Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, was involved in the illegal landing of a private plane at Waterkloof Airforce Base to attend the Gupta wedding at Sun City that was covered up by Minister Zwane while he was MEC for Agriculture in the Free State.

At least one directly linked Gupta company, Kinkway Consulting, was involved in the project. The directors of this company, Ashok Narayan and Ronica Govender, are also directors of JIC Mining and Sahara Systems.

ESTINA’s Gauteng offices were housed in the same Grayston Ridge Office Park in Sandton that also houses a number of Gupta businesses, including Mabengela Investments, in which the sons of both President Jacob Zuma and Premier Ace Magashule are involved.

Speaker, our province does not need a regime change in the ANC, our voters need to vote for a DA government in 2019.

Only the DA will cleanse government of this rot and deliver the services that our people in the Free State deserve.

Issued by the DA Free State, 9 November 2016