17 Nov 2022

The tiny village of Thankane, about 75km south of Jwaneng, was a beehive of activities on Wednesday afternoon as excited villagers came to bear witness when their tribesman and farmer, Mr Onthusitse ‘Wise’ Tsholofelo became the latest beneficiary of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s bull donation drive.

The excited residents travelled the 2-km stretch from the village to Shaayad Farms to witness Tsholofelo receiving a pure Simmental bull.

Showering praises on the 32-year-old farmer, President Masisi indicated that farmers, especially young ones like Tsholofelo who strove to do better, should be given some motivation.

“We heard about the hard work of this young farmer who is as wise as his name. He is coming up well and this warrants that we assist him improve his breed and comply with all the European Union market requirements such as proper record-keeping, so that he access that lucrative market,” he said.

 President Masisi also appreciated veteran farmer, Mr Basimanyana Masire for assisting Mr Tsholofelo with water for his cattle, a spirit he said should be encouraged among Batswana as it resonated with ‘our culture of assisting a fellow human in need’.

“This act is in line with our Setswana adage that ‘Matlo go sha mabapi’.

As Batswana we are known for helping each other out without any expectations of being repaid,” he said.

President Masisi called on more good Samaritans to donate so that more needy farmers could be assisted.

For his part, the beneficiary indicated that the Thankane area had a lot of passionate farmers, who equally needed assistance.

“This donation came to the right place looking at the cattle farming passion around, and I want to assure your Excellency that I will not hog it. It will also benefit other farmers around, and I will ensure that my herd multiplies,” he assured.

Mr Tsholofelo also encouraged fellow youths to embrace agriculture and be patient with their stock for better rewards.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao said the donation was part of a national journey to improve quality and quantity of cattle and small stock in the country. He, therefore, urged Mr Tsholofelo and other beneficiaries across the country to take care of their presents by giving them supplements and the necessary vaccines.

This, he said, would also help boost the quality of cattle for better financial rewards.

Mr Tsholofelo was first assisted through the Youth Development Fund (YDF) in 2018, which he supplemented with his own funds.

He started with 32 cows and one bull, and his current herd stands at 38 cows.

Since the inception of his project, he managed to sell 50 cattle, expand his kiosk business, purchased a tractor, a truck and additional water tanks.

He also indicated that he was about to clear his YDF loan. BOPA