29 Dec 2016

Member of Parliament for Kanye South, Mr Abram Kesupile, has urged Sesung residens to be responsible on issues of concern within their village.
Mr Kesupile said recently in a kgotla meeting that it was critical to expedite services that might change lives of the residents to the better.
However, residents said authorities needed to speed up distribution of seeds to farmers.
Residents also voiced concerns that government did not provide seeds to farmers who did not have certificates for their ploughing fields, emphasising that relevant authorities should scrutinise farmers to verify ownership of land even if they did not have certificates.
Residents said in the past years, dikgosi provided written agreement as proof of land ownership which they used to get seeds, which to date the land board has prohibited.
Responding to their concerns, Mr Kesupile expressed discomfort about constituents who were denied the opportunity to get seeds due to lack of providing proof of land ownership through certificates noting there were other avenues that could be explored for verification.
“I assure those who do not possess certificates for their ploughing fields that with full evidence dikgosi are the ones who can guarantee you that ownership,” Mr Kesupile said.
He pleaded with farmers to stop unlawfully extending their ploughing fields boundaries without consulting with relevant authorities, especially the ones, which were allocated by dikgosi as it may provoke a misunderstanding between landboards and dikgosi.
He therefore, advised residents to confine themselves to boundaries of their ploughing fields as an extension without involving land board authorities may encourage lawlessness.     
For his part the agricultural demonstrator in the area Mr Lesang Mopipi said this issue of no certificates affects a few localities such as Phitshane,Sesana, Mmakgopong and Lehalane ploughing fields.
Mr Mopipi explained that through the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD) they plough up to five hectares per farmer and provide seeds, among other things for subsistence purposes.
He further explained that for farmers to benefit through ISPAAD they need to provide certificates for their ploughing fields or a lease agreement.
“Failure to provide proof of land ownership results on us having no choice but to deny such a farmer the opportunity of benefiting seeds and other ISPAAD packages”, he said
Kgosi Basimanyana Dinake of Sesung, applauded the multitudes who found it neccessary to attend a kgotla meeting to voice their concerns before their MP.
Dinake thanked government for some developments in his village like kgotla offices among others.
He pleaded with government to provide seeds for his farmers emphatically pointing out that those fields sustained agriculturalists for years without any certificates.
He noted that he is very much aware that residents are devoted to farming. ENDS