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Ace Magashule, failed to adequately oversee a public-private dairy farm project, and his actions amounted to mismanagement and misconduct, public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane said on Monday.
Over 20 million rand of public money invested in the Estina Journal project was diverted to support poor farmers in the central Free State province, including to accounts linked to the influential Gupta family, which had close ties to politicians during the former president of South Africa. Jacob Zuma, you have found a report from the public protector. The Guptas have previously denied wrongdoing.
Magashule, who was Prime Minister of the Free State at the time and is now Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC), has faced a series of serious accusations and corruption charges for conduct during his tenure.
On Monday, the public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane said she had concluded that those with ties to the Guptas had “undue influence” over politicians and the project.
Magashule and some of his colleagues had not adequately fulfilled their supervisory responsibilities even after being notified of wrongdoing, and this amounted to “mismanagement and misconduct,” he said.
Magashule’s attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Mkhwebane recommended that Magashule and several other members of the Free State executive authority receive training on their accountability and oversight responsibilities and that prosecutors conducting a criminal investigation of the project take their report into account.
Mkhwebane herself has faced criticism in some quarters. A series of court rulings overturned some of her earlier findings and she has also been accused of targeting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s allies on behalf of an opposition faction of the ANC, which she denies.
Magashule belongs to a group that has at times been at odds with Ramaphosa since he replaced Zuma in February 2018. DM
