07 Mar 2022

Residents of villages constituting Nxaraga Development Trust have been implored to join efforts to find criminals who stole trust property on two consecutive months last year.

Thieves stole six solar panels valued at P18 000, a reservoir pump worth P6 000, and two batteries worth P20 000 in November and December last year.

In an interview, the trust chairperson Mr Benson Kuti stated that theft was a major drawback as all the equipment that was installed to power the electric fence was stolen.

He highlighted that the trust  received P1.8 million from the Conservation Trust Fund to erect an electric fence along the perimeter of the 42.6 hectares trust plot.

Mr Kuti noted that four hectares were set aside for agricultural initiatives through which they hoped the community would produce food.

Now, he said, they were worried that elephants would damage the fence.

He indicated that the manner in which the equipment was stolen was suspect in that it was done while the workers were on site.

This he said raised suspicion that some residents of the eight settlements making up the trust might have been involved. 

Mr Kuti indicated that the stolen solar panels were huge, and would therefore be easy to recognise.

He implored residents to report any suspicious or stolen equipment so as to assist the police in their investigations.

Mr Kuti said Nxaraga Development Trust was strategically placed to offer agro- tourism as it was within the tributaries of the Kunyere River in Nxaraga village.

He highlighted that the plot, which used to be an Agricultural Research Centre, then a prison was handed over to them in 2004 when the prison relocated to Boro. Nxaraga Development Trust is made up of the following settlements and villages:  Gogomoga, Xhoo, Mosu, Nxaraga, Phatshwane, Makgalo, Komana and Kgantshang. BOPA