Chester Makana
Chester Makana
Concern and mistrust linger in the Musekwa community concerning a multi-million farming project that has failed to get off the ground.
The Musekwa Mbudzi Farming Project was established in 2003 as part of a poverty alleviation initiative to create employment opportunities.
In 2004 the Limpopo government, together with the National Development Agency, announced it was funding the project to the tune of R2million.
The funds were reportedly overseen by the Vhembe district municipality.
But now, instead of making the villagers' lives easier by providing jobs for the poor, there is strife and accusation in the community because the money, it claims, had been used to satisfy "selfish" interests.
A structure was, however, built to house goats to provide meat and dairy products, but there is still not a goat in sight.
Nthambeleni Musekwa, chief of the Musekwa clan, said he was initially pleased when the project was funded by the National Development Agency.
He was elated that it aimed to create jobs and fight poverty among his poverty-stricken villagers.
But now he has lost all hope that the project will ever see the light of day.
"Look, this project was introduced to us in 2004 but now, nearly four years later, the villagers still have no prospect of getting jobs."
Musekwa said government officials erected a building to house the goats - but never kept their promise to actually provide the goats to the community.
According to the original plan, the project was to incorporate a wholesale goat meat and milk production plant.
"We were happy because there's a demand for goats' milk but now we are tired of waiting for so long," he said.
The chief said he suspects something "fishy" was going on.
l Ndivhuho Mamathuba, spokesman for the municipality, said the project had been "delayed" because the village didn't yet have sufficient water to feed the livestock intended for the plant.
"We were delayed in our preparations to have water laid on - but we made provisions for that in our budget last year."
Fishy story about goats
Chester Makana
Chester Makana
Concern and mistrust linger in the Musekwa community concerning a multi-million farming project that has failed to get off the ground.
The Musekwa Mbudzi Farming Project was established in 2003 as part of a poverty alleviation initiative to create employment opportunities.
In 2004 the Limpopo government, together with the National Development Agency, announced it was funding the project to the tune of R2million.
The funds were reportedly overseen by the Vhembe district municipality.
But now, instead of making the villagers' lives easier by providing jobs for the poor, there is strife and accusation in the community because the money, it claims, had been used to satisfy "selfish" interests.
A structure was, however, built to house goats to provide meat and dairy products, but there is still not a goat in sight.
Nthambeleni Musekwa, chief of the Musekwa clan, said he was initially pleased when the project was funded by the National Development Agency.
He was elated that it aimed to create jobs and fight poverty among his poverty-stricken villagers.
But now he has lost all hope that the project will ever see the light of day.
"Look, this project was introduced to us in 2004 but now, nearly four years later, the villagers still have no prospect of getting jobs."
Musekwa said government officials erected a building to house the goats - but never kept their promise to actually provide the goats to the community.
According to the original plan, the project was to incorporate a wholesale goat meat and milk production plant.
"We were happy because there's a demand for goats' milk but now we are tired of waiting for so long," he said.
The chief said he suspects something "fishy" was going on.
l Ndivhuho Mamathuba, spokesman for the municipality, said the project had been "delayed" because the village didn't yet have sufficient water to feed the livestock intended for the plant.
"We were delayed in our preparations to have water laid on - but we made provisions for that in our budget last year."
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