How long will it take the police to arrest the people behind the R220m Estina dairy farm corruption?

The commission of inquiry into state capture heard this week how 100 budding farmers who were meant to benefit from the project in Vrede, Free State, suffered at the hands of politicians.

They were promised livestock and training but instead the millions of rand meant for them were diverted into Estina, a Gupta-linked company.

They also lived in fear as they received death threats for speaking up against corruption and Hawks did nothing to investigate the cases or protect them.

Witnesses implicated MP and then MEC Mosebenzi Zwane and ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule among others.

The Hawks have no excuse not to arrest the culprits now as evidence of what happened is in the public domain.

All they have to do is to work for a change and arrest the culprits. Why are the masterminds still walking free as if nothing has happened?

It was also sad to hear of how the poor Vrede community was exploited and duped into believing their lives were about to change for the better. Some farmers sold their livestock after promises of free dairy cows and were now suffering. The area has a high unemployment rate.

We call on government to uplift this community by following through on the promises made and establish projects to alleviate the poverty there.