The former Free State Department of Agriculture head, Peter Thabethe, on Tuesday told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that he is of the view that the failed Vrede Dairy Farm project can still be turned around and made commercially viable.
Thabethe told the commission it had been expected that the construction of the plant and its commissioning would be complete by the third year.Gcabashe suggested the department did not closely monitor construction specifications of the plant, which Thabethe disputed, saying a design had been agreed upon.
Thabethe said a number of individuals in the private sector have inquired about the project and the farm, indicating that they would be willing to purchase it from the government. Previous testimony revealed that the department Thabethe headed paid the FDC almost R1 million monthly to manage these assets.
Gcabashe took issue with this, saying Thabethe “can’t pass the buck all the time” and as the former head of the department he should take responsibility for some of the decisions he took.
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