22 Mar 2022

Developments at the Bray Community Farm at Banyana Farms are progressing well, despite resource constraints.

Updating the Kgalagadi District Council on some projects on Monday, council chairperson, Mr Hendrick Jacobs said the project, which was funded through the Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID), under Water Development for Small Herd Owners in Communal Areas package, was progressing well despite challenges.

The borehole water drilling project was awarded to HHH Drilling (Pty) Ltd to the tune of P5.8 million, an amount which would cover water survey, drilling and borehole equipping.

Mr Jacobs said, so far, a total amount of P1.6 million had been disbursed to the district, while the company had surveyed two sites for possible drilling.

He said the community had also played its role in the project by assisting to de-bush a 1.4 km line as a pathway for the drilling trucks, as there was no clear road leading to the farm.

The council chairperson said the drilling company had managed to drill a borehole to the depth of 190 metres, with an estimated yield of 15 cubic meters.

He said borehole had been test pumped and they were awaiting the results, after which, it would be equipped.

Mr Jacobs revealed that a task team had been formed to come up with a robust management plan for the Bray community farm and it was expected to submit the plan by end of June 2022.

He said the Bray Village Development Committee (VDC) and farmers’ committee members had been trained on livestock management and group dynamics, to ensure efficient take off of the project.

Meanwhile, Mr Jacobs said construction of the Tsabong multi species abattoir was at 47 percent, as at 24 February 2022 and P75 million had been paid out to citizen owned sub-contractors out of the overall budget of P161 million.

He said the guard room, administration block and canteen house were awaiting plumbing and painting, while steel structure was erected on the lairage, slaughter and rendering areas.

He stated that the fridges were on site awaiting to be placed on built in slabs, while water treatment design had also been completed.

Mr Jacobs said the only key pending project was on water availability at the abattoir, which was an assignment that was presently being carried out between departments of Animal Production and Water and Sanitation Services.

Furthermore, he said consultations were ongoing with stakeholders on construction of an access road to the abattoir from the tarred main road.

Currently, he said submission of interest for the business model to be used to operate the abattoir had been closed and thereafter there would be tender adjudication by a private consultant for awarding.ENDS