3 June 2021
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State welcomes the confirmed arrest of former senior administrators at the Department of Agriculture and a businessman yesterday, 2 June 2021, by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS). The arrested individuals and associated entities are allegedly linked to the despicable Estina Dairy Farm project in Vrede, through which public resources were siphoned from the Free State provincial government.
The SACP Free State is comforted by the turning of the wheels of justice on scandalous projects in the province. The Party appreciates the fact that law enforcement agencies are acting on the revelations at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, pointing to scandalous and tailored tender-based projects channeled to well-connected patronage networks in the province. The SACP reiterates its support towards law enforcement agencies in their anti-corruption efforts aimed at decisively dealing with maladministration and draining the corruption swamp in our province, without fear or favour.
The SACP in Free State has always maintained that non-prudential use of public resources and corruption constitute two sides of the same coin that perpetuate under-development and worsen unemployment and poverty particularly amongst poor working-class communities. It is for this reason that the SACP Free State welcomes these arrests and related advances. The SACP urges those arrested to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, including volunteering information that may lead to further arrest of all those involved and that benefit through these patronage networks, either directly or indirectly via proxies.
The SACP in Free State views the arrest as a first step of many. The Party urges the National Prosecution Authority to pursue a successful prosecution, and as previously indicated, we call for the throwing of the gauntlet on those found guilty through a hefty sentence by the courts, and concomitant asserts forfeiture intended to recover every cent of public resources.
ISSUED BY THE SACP FREE STATE
Contact:
Bhekie Stofile
SACP Free State Provincial Secretary
Mobile: 071 600 4899
Phillip Kganyago
SACP Free State Provincial Spokesperson
Mobile: 071 896 0157
ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNIST PARTY | SACP
EST. 1921 AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA | CPSA
Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo
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