26 Jun 2024

North East District Full Council is pleased with the uptake of the agricultural programmes owing to the current number of registered farmers.

Addressing the meeting on Monday, the council chairperson, Mr Kudzani Tobokwani said 4 339 farmers had so far registered for Thuo Letlotlo since its launch by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in April, marking the end of LIMID.

Mr Tobokwani said the approved applications from LIMID programme were therefore carried over to the new programme and applicants were free to change the packages they had applied for under LIMID to Thuo Letlotlo.

However, he regretted the low intake of the Impact Accelerator Subsidy (IAS) where only 63 farmers had benefitted from the initiative, which he attributed to the 50 per cent farmers’ contribution.

On other issues, Mr Tobokwani said the restocking exercise had commenced following the reinstatement of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free status of Zone 6b and was scheduled to be completed in three months.

“We urge the affected farmers to take care of their livestock to improve animal productivity as this forms a welcome development by government in uplifting the livelihoods of the community,” he said.

Further, he told the council meeting that the district had been doing well in contributing to the national target of allocation of 100 000 residential plots.

He indicated that Tati Land Board had managed to meet its target of 6 511 and surpassed it by 412 plots reaching a total of 6 923 plots.

“During the current financial year, the board plans to allocate 3 764 residential plots across villages in the district,” he added.

However, he said the land board had been struggling to produce Secure Land Title (SLT) due to maps which were not yet approved.

“But this year alone, the board has received over 4 000 plots which have been approved and would be registered to facilitate the production of SLTs,” he said.

He also told the meeting that the council was currently engaged on the face-to-face exercise for signboard owners to regularise them by submitting applications for planning permission.

“The response is still unsatisfactory and council is left with no option but to remove all the illegal signboards within the district. Advertisement is a source of revenue for the council and existence of signboards without payment annual fees defeats this purpose in these trying times of limited financial resources,” he said.

Furthermore, the councillors were informed that the water supply situation in the district was generally good with all villages receiving adequate supply, despite the operational challenges at the plant and network.

That, he said was mainly due to low consumptions pattern experienced during winter season in most of the villages which led to adequate supply to the critical areas such as Moroka, Senyawe, Butale, Themashanga and Jackalas 1.

Meanwhile, he said they were faced with challenges concerning the condition of infrastructure in some villages due to old network reticulation pipes of lower class leading to frequent pipe bursts throughout the district.

On one hand, he said the Masingwaneng treatment plant was designed to produce 14 million litres per day, but produced 13 million litres per day on average and the current demand for the two districts of Tutume and North East was estimated around 16 million litres day, resulting in a short fall of three million litres per day.

“To improve on the efficiency of water treatment plant, Water Utilities Corporation has embarked on a project which would cost P3.6 million to address maintenance issues and increase production. The tender has been awarded and is expected to be completed in six months,” he said.

He further stated that short and long term solutions regarding water supply challenges to the eastern corridor villages had been submitted and the project would commence upon approval of the budget.

He said after completion of the project, such measures would mitigate water shortages, particularly to villages of Jackalas I, Butale, Senyawe, Moroka and Themashanga. ends