A community trust representing beneficiaries of the Vrede dairy project in the Free State believes it has been set up for failure, claiming it was handed the farm without being trained or given access to financial support.
The provincial government disagrees, saying it has given the trust more than R6m, and a further R20m has been set aside for the project.
The Sunday Times this week visited the farm, which was handed over in January amid fanfare to the trust by Free State premier Sisi Ntombela, who said it was being given “to its intended beneficiaries”.
The trust represents the initial 65 intended beneficiaries of the project, which saw more than R200m allegedly looted by companies linked to the Gupta family.
Beneficiaries told the Sunday Times the farm had been handed over with only one working vehicle, a sedan, and one tractor. Several broken-down vehicles, mainly bakkies, and other farming equipment required urgent repairs.
“We believe that we have been set up for failure because the training they promised hasn’t happened and it’s close to a year since we’ve been here,” said Adam Selepe, one of six people elected to represent the Vrede Integrated Farming Trust.
Selepe said they had to use their own vehicles to transport farm workers daily after the department made only a single R3.6m payment. He said the funds from the province went towards salaries of employees who had not been paid for two months, and repairs to tractors and other vehicles.
Free State agriculture department spokesperson Zimasa Mbewu said they were supporting the trust “with training, capacity building, advisory services and financially”.
“It is not correct that the Vrede Integrated Farming Trust is set up for failure. In the previous financial year, 2021/22, immediately after the handover, VIFT was given R6.3m for various operational activities.”
She said R20m had been set aside to help get the farm fully operational, over and above what it was generating from the sale of milk. “It is important to note that the R20m allocated to VIFT has not yet been utilised because the department and the trust are working closely to reconcile financially on the R6m which was allocated to them before the R20m can be utilised.
“There is a commitment from the Trust to avail all outstanding invoices by October 1. The department is committed to ensure that the project is sustainable,” Mbewu said.
Selepe said they were trying to ensure the farm survives, despite operating under difficult circumstances. “The only knowledge I have about farming is from my upbringing, as I was raised on a farm and my father was also farming, but I would appreciate to be properly trained,” Selepe said.
He said the farm has 165 milking cows and about 70 calves and weaners. “The farm produces 2,400 litres of milk a day. Last month we were on 3,000 litres but due to lack of feed for the cows we are seeing a drop.”
He said the 2,030ha farm falls short by about R100,000 in meeting its monthly costs. Selepe said they pay around R51,000 a month for electricity, R70,000 for diesel and R170,000 in wages. The farm brings in around R210,000.
“This doesn’t take into consideration what we need to spend on feed and we’re using our own vehicles.
“The processing plant should be making butter and cheese but none of the equipment in the processing plant works.”
Meshack Ncongwane, 65, one of the beneficiaries, said: “We are excited that we have this project but we desperately need funding to make it succeed.”
Ncongwane said they were frustrated by being unable to use other parts of the farm to generate income to complement their dairy production. “Imagine if we had the capacity to plant our own feed so that we don’t have to buy feed for these cows,” he said.
Ncongwane commutes to the farm on his bicycle and hopes the department will soon deliver on its promises before the farm fails.
Trust members told the Sunday Times the provincial government had promised to deploy and pay the salary of an executive manager for the farm.
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