Zondo Report: DA Free State demands justice

Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Dr Roy Jankielsohn.

The damning findings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that implicate politicians such as former Free State premier Ace Magashule and former MEC of Agriculture, Mosebenzi Zwane, are grounds to institute criminal proceedings against them and other implicated individuals. It is clear from the report that the residents of the Free State have been robbed and deserve justice.

These findings align themselves with the DA-initiated Public Protector Report that indicated criminal investigations should commence against former MEC members Magashule, Zwane, Elsebe Rockman, the current MEC of Social Development, Mamiki Qabathe, and other implicated officials.

There is no doubt that politicians were involved in supporting the criminal Gupta enterprise in the Free State and South Africa through their abuse of the Free State Provincial Government’s financial resources. This was done through devious money laundering schemes using the Vrede Dairy Project and the New Age newspaper as vehicles.

In this regard, the report states: “With respect to the subscription to New Age newspaper, it would appear that a political decision to support the Gupta family financially was a prevailing rationale for the Free State Government signing the subscription agreement”.

The report also alludes to Magashule’s incompetence as premier with the comments that “the Premier should have performed his oversight function over the MEC, Mr Zwane and the Head of Department and failed dismally”, and that “Mr Ace Magashule also failed dismally to supervise his MECs and now we see the same failure in respect of the Vrede Dairy Project”.

The DA will continue to drive this issue on behalf of the residents of the Free State whose money has been stolen by ensuring that implicated officials and politicians are held liable for their malfeasance.