16 Oct 2022

Masama Livestock Improvement Centre (MLIC) board of governors should strive to diversify and integrate farm usage for optimal community beneficiation.

MLIC is a community project in the Kgatleng area near Artesia that is aimed at improving livestock breeding in Kgatleng.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Mochudi on Thursday, deputy paramount chief of Bakgatla, Kgosi Bana Sekai said the local authority should intend to diversify the farm usage to integrated farming, which would be able to accommodate modernised farming methodologies.

He highlighted that the farm’s governing body needed to shift focus from the traditional method of farming to mechanised farming to maximise sustainable food production.

“The farm presents a significant opportunity for private sector participation in the agricultural value chain beneficiation, with the potential to create employment opportunities for the youth and contribute to the country’s food basket if fully utilised,” he said.

Kgosi Sekai further called on his tribesmen to establish a community trust to ensure that resources owned by the tribe benefitted the communities economically.

“It is important to establish community trusts that will provide communities with an opportunity for accountable leadership and essential steps for the community to become more confident, proactive and capable in all aspects of their lives,” Kgosi Sekai highlighted.

He said a number of community trusts in the country have collapsed primarily due to poor management and lack of accountability for funds and other assets, thus it is important for trust membership to be solely based on merit and credibility.

Some trusts board members, he said, had a tendency to abuse the power conferred on them to exploit the trust’s funds and resources for personal gain and interests, something he said had hugely contributed to the collapse of many community trusts.

He said some trust members had  exploited the ignorance of their constituents and selfishly abused the power conferred on them to enjoy ill-gotten wealth and completely ignored the rules of transparency in decision-making.

Kgosi Sekai accordingly, appealed to community trusts to handle their funds and assets in an accountable manner in order to sustainability and livelihoods enhancement.

He stated that it was equally important for the tribe to elect a board of trustees that would oversee the day-to-day running of Phuthadikobo Museum.

Contributing to the meeting, one of the attendees, Mr Kabelo Rakgati decried the under-utilisation of Masama farm, stating that it had the potential to transform Kgatleng District into the country’s food basket.

 “It is depressing to note that of the eight paddocks in the farm, only one is fully utilised and that the quality of the breed has downgraded over the years,” Mr  Rakgati said.

 Mr Rakgati, therefore, advocated for some of the unused paddocks to be leased out to young farmers.  ENDS