EDITORIAL: Vrede report is a disgrace
The public protector’s report on grand fraud at the Vrede dairy project sidesteps crucial evidence and targets underlings
The public protector’s report on the Vrede Integrated Dairy Project is a disgrace. The report starts with a long list of things Busisiwe Mkhwebane claims she could not investigate due to the "capacity and financial constraints". This is an organisation with a budget of R626m a year and a staff of 300. After investigating the issue for five years, the public protector’s office concludes that the Free State agriculture department did not follow proper procedure in establishing the project, and once it was established the department did not monitor it properly. The remedy proposed is that the department should take disciplinary action against officials involved in the project and they should follow proper procedure. Great. If ever there was a report that stated the obvious, this is it. It’s almost as though someone decided to just dump the thing with a set of pro-forma recommendations in a deliberate attempt to make sure only underlings would be criticised. To achieve this end, the inv...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.