19 Aug 2019

Kgalagadi South MP, Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen, says government is doing all it can to find to address shortage of land in Bray. 

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Bray recently, Mr Van Der Westhuizen said government had negotiated with a game farmer who had demanded P6.6 million for the land, but negotiations reached a dead lock.

He encouraged residents to be optimistic, adding that negotiations would be continued by a legislator who would take over after the general election. 

Mr Van Der Westhuizen, also Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said land was a critical component in the development of villages, hence the need to continue negotiations with the farmer to acquire more land.

Furthermore, he said a specialised zoned commercial farming area was demarcated for the villagers in Banyana Farms so that they could be uplifted economically. 

However, the legislator said Banyana farms plot remained undeveloped on account of the fact that the committee that was tasked to activate effective land use failed to take initiative, which yielded poor results despite various attempts by government. 

“When I was Kgalagadi District Council chairman, a committee was formed to come up with a business plan for the farm and you never agreed on who will be part of it. Effort was made to approach the agriculture coordinator in Tsabong to provide technical expertise of running the farm, but the committee was not active enough,” he noted. 

He further highlighted that he made an attempt to come up with the ideas to get the project running where Bray could be assisted with LIMID programme to drill boreholes since the farm was estimated to accommodate 500 small-stock but efforts proved futile.

He said it was pertinent for the village to put in place an active committee that would ensure that “things happened at Banyana Farms where people could be employed and eradicate poverty. 

“There is no space for the village to grow and the farm could create jobs for the people,” he said.

Mr Van Der Westhuizen told residents that developments were stifled by contractors who went to court complaining about the awarding of tenders. This, he said, caused projects delays and some roads which were planned to be tarred were not on account of the fact that complaints were lodged. 

For his part, Kgosi Lenyeletse Kgannyeng of Bray called for action on Banyana Farms land, which he said never functioned.

He acknowledged Mr Van Der Westhuizen for securing the land for the people five years ago, which he said was if activated would go a long way in alleviating poverty in the village.

Kgosi Kgannyeng also decried high cross boarder crime of small stock. ENDS