NPA says it will reinstate Estina dairy farm case after it was struck off court roll

The R280m Estina dairy farm fraud and corruption case will be reinstated as soon as possible, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Investigating Directorate (ID) said on Wednesday.

This comes after the Free State High Court struck the matter off the court roll on Wednesday.

The trial was set for 5 August to 13 September this year.

The Estina dairy farm matter involves millions of rands in state funds that were looted from the Free State Agriculture Department between July 2012 and April 2014.

Suspects include former Free State Agriculture MEC Mosebenzi Zwane, former and current department officials, and Gupta associates.

ALSO READ: Trial dates set for accused in R280m Estina scandal

Charges

The charges against Zwane and his co-accused span a range of allegations including fraud, corruption and money laundering.

They are linked to a complex web of events surrounding the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Free State Department of Agriculture, which were intended for the establishment of a dairy farm project in Vrede.

NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said the state had been ready to proceed, with witnesses lined up, since Monday.

“The ID team has been guided by external and experienced senior counsel who have worked diligently on all aspects of the Gupta evidence and relevant disclosures.”

‘Gupta leaked emails’

Mhaga said the defence had asked the court to strike the case off the roll, citing the inability to access the electronic version of the hard copies of the so-called ‘Gupta leaks’ emails.

“Yet, as early as 2023, as part of the disclosure process, the state had provided the defence with hard copies of the Gupta leaked emails. On 15 June 2024, the defence was provided with the electronic versions of the same hard copies disclosed in early 2023.

“The state also made its own technical expert available to assist the defence in accessing the digital platform, should they experience any challenges,” he said.

Mhaga said the NPA remains “undeterred in the pursuit of Estina dairy farm matter and will take all necessary steps to re-instate it”.

Estina dairy project

The Vrede Dairy Project, initiated in 2012 on Krynaauwslust Farm near the town of Vrede, Free State, was established in collaboration with Estina, a black economic empowerment firm, as part of the Mohoma-Mobung agricultural initiative led by the Free State provincial government.

The land was allocated to Estina through a lease that spanned 99 years. The primary objective behind the million-rand dairy project was to uplift black farmers.

However, a review of bank records allegedly revealed no disbursements were made to benefit black recipients. Instead, the dairy farm allegedly functioned as a mere conduit through which funds were channelled to the corrupt.

ALSO READ: State capture: Mosebenzi Zwane sanctions ‘a joke’