24 Feb 2016

About 204 boreholes out of 423 approved applications were drilled through the Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) programme since its inception in September 2010.

Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said the drilled boreholes cost over P11 million.

He explained to Parliament that the extent of backlog per financial year was as follows: 2010/11 was 25, 2011/12 was 62, 2012/13 was 18, 2013/14 was 19, 2014/15 was 72 and in the last year financial year was 23, making a total backlog of 219 boreholes.

Mr Autlwetse said his ministry has closed receipt of applications for LIMID to address the backlog created by delays from farmers to pay their contributions.

“Approvals that are made more than six months are classified as expired and the applicant is expected to re-apply, if still interested,” he said.

He said 23 companies participated in the drilling of the boreholes, adding that out of the number, 20 were citizen owned while three were foreign companies.

Mr Autlwetse was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Ngami, Mr Thato Kwerepe who had asked the minister to state the number of boreholes drilled through the Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development Programme since its inception year by year.

The Ngami MP also wanted to know the cost of drilling the boreholes, the extent of the backlog, measures undertaken to eradicate the backlog and the number of citizen owned companies which participated in the drilling of the boreholes.  ENDS