15 Nov 2021

Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) on Friday donated machinery worth P1.3 million to BORAVAST Community Resources Management Trust. 

Handing over the donation, Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said the aim was to create economic value of the vast Sexanana or prosopis plant found in the Kgalagadi district.

He said government remained resolute in creating an enabling environment that promoted sustainable and profitable businesses.

LEA in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Kgalagadi local authorities joined hands to work with the BORAVAST Community Resources Management Trust in projects of coal and fodder production.

The donation consists of heavy duty fodder processors, two trailers, four chain saws, trailer mounted log cutter, two-tonne delivery cargo trailer and office furniture

The machinery, according to Mr Molebatsi would be used to harvest and process Sexanana into animal feed targeted at economically impacting communities in the BORAVAST cluster which comprise of four villages, Bokspits, Rappelspan, Vaalhoek, and Struizendam.

He said this was an entrepreneurial milestone that would boost the four communities that have been united with the common goal to alter the economic landscape of their villages. 

The development was also in line with government poverty eradication drive aimed at creating wealth for Batswana using natural resources found in their localities. 

The assistant minister was speaking to the theme: Community development through commercialization, where government sought to empower communities so that they could become economically independent of government.

He said the newly signed Economic Inclusion legal instrument that would effect in 2022 would ensure that retailers first bought from locals before importing products and services. 

Moreover, Mr Molebatsi encouraged the trust management to exercise discipline and avoid any internal rifts as that could hamper project progress. 

He said some Trusts had failed to make progress due to mismanagement, and corrupt members who utilised Trust resources for their personal benefit. 

For his part, LEA chief executive officer, Dr Racious Moatshe said the project, did not start as initially planned due to various challenges leading to it being dormant in 2015. 

In the 2019/2020 financial year the trust resuscitated the project operations under the sponsorship of the UNDP (Kgalagadi and Drylands Ecosystem Project) whose main aim was to start operations for the development of the identified value chains.

He highlighted that the BORAVAST charcoal which was currently being produced was of high value and was one of the best in terms of properties where LEA was currently assisting the Trust with barcoding to get the product to the shelves of retailers such as Shoppers, Choppies and Liquarama in Tsabong.

He said LEA had devised a strategic approach of ‘community development through commercialization’ and BORAVAST Trust was the first beneficiary under the initiative of community entrepreneurship. “The goal is to create economic value with the vast idle riches found in communities,” he said.

Vice chairperson of BORAVAST Community Resources Management Trust, Mr Gideon Martin appreciated the donation from government and stakeholders such as UNDP and village authorities and promised to deliver exceptionally. He said UNDP through Department of Forestry and Range Resources had in the past donatedP461 000 in the form of equipment which was being used to produce charcoal.

Nonetheless, he said the sales were moving at a snail pace for the reason that the product was relatively new in the market. 

Bokspits Kgosi Charles Hendricks said Sexanana plant was an opportunity that could generate revenue for the people. 

“Here is an opportunity given to us to make the most out of the prosopis plant,” he said. ENDS