By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Evidence leader Adv Nazreen Bawa SC, outlined the Guptas’ link to the Estina/ Vrede dairy farm based on media reports following the GuptaLeaks. The committee previously heard testimony that suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane instructed investigators not to use the GuptaLeaks.
Former Public Protector investigator, advocate Nditsheni Raedani, testified that he was part of a task team probing the Vrede matter. The investigation began under Mkhwebane’s predecessor, Thuli Madonsela.
Raedani said he was aware of the GuptaLeaks – a tranche of leaked emails detailing the Guptas’ and their associates’ dealings – from the start of his involvement in the investigation.
Through his interactions with his supervisor, Reginald Ndou, he was made aware that Mkhwebane didn’t want them to look into the GuptaLeaks.
“The Public Protector doesn’t want the Gupta emails in the investigation,” he said he was told.
Furthermore, the investigation uncovered enough evidence to implicate Magashule, who was the Free State premier at the time, and Zwane, who was the agriculture MEC at the time, the committee heard.
“There was sufficient evidence to justify findings of maladministration against the premier and the MEC. I recall such findings being in at least one version of the draft report that I saw, although I cannot now recall which one.”
But the findings never made it into the final report.
Raedani said Mkhwebane had the final say on what went into the final report and what didn’t.
He testified that he and fellow investigator, Tebogo Kekana – an earlier witness – were called to a meeting with Mkhwebane. She expressed her unhappiness over the Vrede report, said it did not reflect her instructions and gave them a new set of instructions on how the report should be amended.
The report was eventually reviewed and set aside by the courts, and the Portfolio Committee on Justice also had questions.
So, another investigation into Vrede followed in 2018, which looked into Magashule and Zwane.
Initially, Raedani was also involved in the investigation. He said he, Mkhwebane and another Public Protector official went to interview Magashule. He didn’t get to ask his Magashule questions because Mkhwebane did most of the talking, which meant he didn’t get the required answers.
After about 30 minutes, Mkhwebane asked him and the other official to leave so that she could “have a constructive discussion with the SG (secretary-general)”.
Magashule has since been suspended as the ANC’s secretary-general.
Raedani said he was “not privy” to what Mkhwebane and Magashule discussed. That part of the meeting was not recorded.
It was Raedani’s last involvement in the investigation before it was reassigned to other investigators.
Livestream Video Below:
Video Courtesy of Parliament.