John Steenhuisen’s missing R500 million investigation

Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, said his investigation into a dubious R500 million Onderstepoort Biological Products project is now with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

This project could have played a crucial role in combatting the devastating foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in South Africa.

Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) is a South African state-owned animal vaccine manufacturing company.

Its mandate is to prevent and control animal diseases that impact food security, human health, and livelihoods.

The facility must ensure vaccine affordability and accessibility through varied distribution channels.

However, many members of the agricultural community have raised concerns that the organisation was not fulfilling its mandate.

The company is also under fire for its accounting practices and for funds that are either missing or unaccounted for.

The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) also previously raised concerns over fruitless, wasteful, and irregular expenditure and flagged gaps in institutional governance.

Members of Parliament expressed concern about its revenue losses, audit qualifications, and ongoing vacancies in key executive posts.

In August 2024, shortly after Steenhuisen became minister, he said he was very concerned about the project, which had been given R500 million to revamp the facility.

“A large part of the R500 million went missing and is unaccounted for,” he said. He added that a forensic audit would help reveal where the money went.

The DA said it “welcomed the decisive action being taken by Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to finally institute a forensic audit”.

“We stand with members of the agricultural community in raising our total dissatisfaction with OBP not fulfilling its mandate,” the DA’s Willie Aucamp said.

“It is clear that something untoward is going on at OBP, and this investigation into OBP is therefore welcomed.”

“This development is a crucial step toward restoring integrity and accountability within the sector.”

There has not been much information about the investigation over the last two years. However, his spokesperson, Joylene Van Wyk, provided the latest details.

She said that the matter was not referred to the Directorate: Forensic Investigations in the former Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

However, she added that it was referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). “I’m waiting for confirmation from the directorate at this time,” she said.