Former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane lives in a large home in the sleepy town of Warden that residents of the eastern Free State refer to as a “mini-Nkandla”.
While the two-storey house is nowhere close to the generous dimensions of former president Jacob Zuma’s homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, it dwarfs everything around it.
And just like Nkandla, Zwane’s mansion features thatched rondavels behind the main property.
It is built on by far the biggest stand in the area — slightly bigger than a rugby field.
The municipal evaluation of the property, which boasts high beige walls topped with an electric fence, is R1m, according to the affidavit Zwane filed as part of his bail application in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on Wednesday.
Zwane stated in his affidavit that he had been living in the house for the past 15 years. He listed another property he owns in Pretoria for which he said the municipal evaluation was R4.5m.
The former minister estimated the value of the furniture in the two properties at about R250,000.
He appeared in court with Ugeshni Govender, a former Sahara Computers employee, and Ronica Ragavan, a director of Gupta-owned company Islandsite Investments, in connection with the Vrede dairy farm scandal. He was granted R10,000 bail.
Zwane, who was the Free State agriculture MEC when the project was launched in 2012, was charged with corruption and fraud. Govender and Ragavan were charged with corruption and money laundering for allegedly contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The Vrede dairy farm was a project of the Free State department of agriculture that was supposed to benefit black emerging farmers but most of the money is alleged to have been channelled through offshore companies linked to the Guptas.
In his bail statement, Zwane said through his legal representative, Lebohang Mokhele, that he intended pleading not guilty and had handed himself over to law enforcement agencies.
The matter will be back in court on November 2. More arrests are expected.
For many locals in the streets of Vrede, Zwane now has a perfect opportunity to give his side of the story in court.
“That house alone tells you how moneyed Mosebenzi Zwane is,” said one resident, who refused to be named. He said Zwane had “built his own mini-Nkandla in Warden” and that he remained powerful politically in the region.
Vrede resident Dodo Mofokeng said he hoped the truth about the dairy farm project would finally come out. “The Vrede dairy project is meant to benefit the everyone that lives in Vrede, not just the beneficiaries.”
Another local, Johannes Sithole, was more blunt.
Why is Mosebenzi Zwane's name always in scandals or corruption. Doesn't that say anything about him?
— Johannes Sithole, resident of Vrede
“Why is Mosebenzi Zwane's name always in scandals or corruption. Doesn't that say anything about him?
“There are poorly built RDP houses in Vrede and Zwane's name is also being mentioned on that issue. Now that this [dairy farm] matter is in court, I hope the entire truth will be laid bare,” Sithole said.
Another local who did not want to be named said: “Zwane has been low profile in recent years despite being very influential in these parts, and we are happy that this issue is now before court and that Zwane has been arrested.”
Zwane, a former school teacher, served as executive mayor of the Thabo Mofutsanyana region from 2006 to 2008 before becoming an MEC in 2009.
On Wednesday he told the media at his court appearance that he was “happy” to have an opportunity to clear his name.
“I am happy that finally this case has seen the light of the day in court. I have been tried so many times by journalists and everybody, more than a decade, so it augurs well for me that finally I am appearing here,” Zwane said.
Locals say the former minister personally made promises to aspirant dairy farmers at the local town hall in 2012. They say he had explained to them that the provincial government was looking for black farmers to support with funds for livestock so they could grow their operations.
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.