Dhlamini says in Vrede, when you mention the name of Mosebenzi Zwane and the dairy farm project, you "won't sleep in your house that night" - you will be chased down and killed.

Dhlamini says he played the audio recording of the video of death threats to Hawks Brigadier Ntombela over the phone, and he also sent the video to Mkhwebane. Zondo expresses concern about this and other testimony where death threats were mentioned, but there was no action from law enforcement officials. Zondo instructs the commission's legal team to look into this.

Dhlamini says there are other beneficiaries who are being threatened, but are afraid to speak out. Dhlamini says they also know of people who have been killed. 

Dhlamini tells Zondo that after the death threats, he now walks around with a gun, even when he's on the farm. 

Dhlamini: "It is so sad when someone who lives within the same community with you and you know that he is also part of those who want to kill you..." 

Dhlamini says he kept quiet about it, because he wanted the Hawks to do their job. The Hawks have, however, not done anything about the threats to this day, says Dhlamini. 

Dhlamini tells the commission of death threats he received.

Dhlamini says after the Hawks searched Masiteng's home, she was then taken to the police station. She told him that she was being arrested. Dhlamini says Masiteng told him that she and June Mahlaba, committee chairperson and also one of the three representatives chosen by the farmers, had made decisions on behalf of the farmers. 

Evidence leader, Advocate Leah Gcabashe, says Mahlaba will tell the commission how there was never a meeting of the committee, so there was nothing to report back to the farmers. Dhlamini says this would be a lie, "a blue lie".

Dhlamini explains who Lindiwe Masiteng was, says she was the recording secretary who had taken down the minutes of all meetings held. Masiteng was one of the three representatives chosen by the Vrede farmers.

Dhlamini's testimony now shifts to the Hawks, when they paid a visit to Vrede and the dairy farm. Dhlamini says the NPA was with the Hawks.

Dhlamini says in January 2019 he called the Hawks brigadier because he was receiving death threats.

Dhlamini says the meeting eventually happened, sometime this year. He says the public protector said she would "report back" in three months to give them feedback. Dhlamini confirms that Mkhwebane was at the meeting, which was also attended by some of the beneficiaries, but not all of them.

Dhlamini says he thanked Mkhwebane for coming, but he also says he told her that the community had initially lost trust in her, as the first report was released without consulting them. Dhlamini tells Zondo that he still does not trust the public protector. "Even now, I do not trust her," he says. 

Dhlamini's testimony shifts to his interactions with Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Dhlamini says he received a call from someone who worked in the Public Protector's office in November 2018, informing him that Mkhwebane would be coming to Vrede. Dhlamini was asked to gather the other farmers/beneficiaries for a meeting with the public protector, but the meeting was postponed. 

Dhlamini says Mkhwebane called him herself to cancel the meeting, as she was busy. He says he then received a second call from her office, again requesting that he gather all the farmers for another meeting. 

Proceedings have commenced, earlier than usual today. 

Ephraim Makhosini Dhlamini, one of the Vrede dairy farm project beneficiaries, is still on the witness stand. 

ICYMI: 

Estina dairy project: State capture inquiry hears how Zwane took church choir to India instead of beneficiaries 

The judicial commission of inquiry into state capture has heard how bold promises were made to beneficiaries of the collapsed Gupta-linked Vrede dairy project, but nothing ever materialised.

On Tuesday, Ephraim Dhlamini, one of the project's beneficiaries, told the Zondo commission farmers were promised trips to India for training and cattle to kickstart the project.

Instead, the former agriculture MEC in the Free State, Mosebenzi Zwane, sent members of his church choir for training, he claimed.

Dhlamini said Zwane's father was a pastor and in charge of the choir, adding it had to cut its trip short because its members all had diarrhoea while in India.

ICYMI: 

Estina farm project: State capture inquiry hears how legislature failed the people of the Free State 

The judicial commission of inquiry into state capture has heard how the Gupta-linked Vrede dairy farm project was a classic example of how the provincial legislature and its committees failed the people of the Free State.

On Monday, Roy Jankielsohn, a member of the Free State legislature, told Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo when the alleged irregularities in the project took place, the committee chairperson "blocked opposition members' attempts to probe these issues".

He said when opposition members in the legislature raised the issue they were "ridiculed and insulted by the governing party" in attempts to deviate from those issues.

"This is a classic example of how the legislature and its committees have failed the people of the Free State by not allowing this issue to be interrogated," Jankielsohn added. 

ICYMI: 

Free State govt continues to fund collapsed Vrede dairy farm project R20m annually, state capture inquiry hears 

The Free State government continues to fund the collapsed Vrede dairy farm project to the tune of R20m a year, the judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture heard on Monday.

This after Estina, an IT company, withdrew from the project in August 2014, and the project was taken over by the Free State Development Corporation, said Roy Jankielsohn, a member of the Free State legislature.

Jankielsonhn said the Free State Development Corporation was set up to stimulate economic growth in the province.

It was also set up to support small, medium and micro enterprises with funding and to run various structures such as office building and factories among other things.  

ICYMI: 

Beneficiaries of collapsed Estina dairy farm project still sidelined, state capture inquiry hears 

A member of the Free State legislature, Roy Jankielsohn, has detailed how beneficiaries of the collapsed Gupta-linked Estina dairy farm project are still being sidelined.

Jankielsohn was testifying before the judicial commission of inquiry into allegations of state capture on Monday.  

He told inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo the beneficiaries' exclusion was "very strange" to him, adding government projects should benefit beneficiaries on the ground.

"Many Vrede residents are poor, there's huge unemployment and people were hoping that this project would bring some relief to at least 80 people who were identified as beneficiaries, and unfortunately, they are still sidelined."