A raw deal: Where are the Estina dairy farm victims now?

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Ferial Haffajee's latest Daily Maverick article sees the journalist returning to the scene of the Estina Dairy Farm scandal.

Now called the Integrated Vrede Dairy Project, Haffajee calls it the 'original sin site of State Capture'.

During the State Capture Enquiry it was revealed that tens of millions of rand, meant to uplift Black farmers in the Free State, was instead misdirected and used to pay for the wedding of Vega Gupta.

"I thought it was important to go back there because it was really the beginning of the story of State Capture. It was the first mega contract awarded to the Gupta family."

Ferial Haffajee, Associate Editor - Daily Maverick

The State Capture report found that locals were 'taken for a ride' after being convinced to sell their cattle in return for a share in the Estina Dairy Farm and cows donated to them by the government.

The cows never materialised and they 'were only ever the on-paper owners of Estina' writes Haffajee.

"None of those people benefitted and I wanted to go back after hearing the project had been restarted."

Ferial Haffajee, Associate Editor - Daily Maverick

Eleven years on Haffajee says all the beneficiaries have received so far is a R1300 gift card and 5kg of meat. 

"They got a manager to run the farm on behalf of the provincial government, that was in 2022 and at the end of 2023, the farms were saying, so when are we getting our dividends?"

Ferial Haffajee, Associate Editor - Daily Maverick

Click here to read Ferial Haffajee's article 'Guptas’ R280m dairy heist victims get R1,300 gift card and 5kg meat hamper' in the Daily Maverick

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