21 Feb 2021

Farmers leasing or subleasing arable fields are required to sign an affidavit authorised by dikgosi.

The Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Karabo Gare, said this showed that the ministry was working closely with dikgosi in preventing abuse of programmes.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Mr Gare said his ministry had always worked closely with bogosi in the implementation and oversight of agricultural programmes, including ISPAAD.

He stated that the review of ISPAAD had assisted in identifying gaps where the role played by dikgosi could be increased beyond what they were doing at the moment.

He said the ministry had never excluded the free oversight structures such as dikgosana and headmen of arbitration since they always took part during community consultations to sensitise the community on the implementation constraints and to probe for suggestions on how such could be dealt with.

Mr Gare indicated that public participation, partnership with traditional governance structures as well as other structures like the police had been key players in the prevention of wastage and corrupt practices in the ISPAAD programme.

Mochudi East legislator, Mr Mabuse Pule, had asked the minister if he would consider improving management and oversight of government programmes like ISPAAD through involvement of chieftainship structures, especially in Kgatleng where wards and other social organisations were still intact.

MP Pule also wanted the minister to state if given issues of fronting and abuse of such programmes, he could table that topic as a request to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi to assist in policing and conducting oversight activities through Dikgosi;

He also asked the minister why his ministry continued to exclude a free oversight structure such as dikgosana, headman of Arbitration and village/ward elders in resource management and oversight.

Furthermore, he wanted to know if the minister was aware that that situation would stop instantly if he were to increase public participation with traditional governance practices to prevent wastage, and corrupt practices under the auspices of ‘tragedy of the commons.’ENDS