Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

One of the country's biggest projects is falling apart because of finance.

Mpumalanga's Mmaphake Land Care project, which involves land rehabilitation and tree, water and soil conversation in Moretele, has collapsed.

The project is driven by the national Department of Agriculture, where each province is given a conditional grant.

A Mmaphake official said the department had not fulfilled its funding responsibility.

"Oversight of the project is the Department of Agriculture's responsibility, but we have reached a complete collapse of our two-year work," said Letsholo Seshoeng, the chairman of Mmaphake.

The project was launched by Environmental Affairs and Tourism Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi in 2006.

The 27 projects also aimed to give jobs to local communities.

Department spokesman David Tshabalala said this year's budget was taken from the projects in three provincial districts. "The projects will now be implemented in the 2009/10 financial year," he said.