A Northern Cape maize, wheat and lucerne farmer says a broken government promise has resulted in him losing out on two planting seasons, three farmworkers and nearly R1 million in revenue due to inadequate drainage on his farm.
Giel Wilson from Hartswater tells Food For Mzansi the provincial department of agriculture, land reform and rural development is yet to complete a drainage system project on his 34-hectare farm – a promise made in 2020. Subsequently, his land is unusable due to waterlogging for over two years.
“In 2020, we realised that we have waterlogging underground that needed to be drained out. We noticed by poor production yield, and immediately alerted the department to help us with installing a proper drainage pipe,” says Wilson in an exclusive interview.
The department finally appointed a contractor nearly two years later. At the time Wilson was allegedly told the drainage project would take four months to complete, but seven months later nothing was done.
Clock ticking on R7-million project
The R7-million project has been dragging on for years, and Wilson is concerned that he will face another difficult season if the drainage pipe is not installed as soon as possible.
“The project started on 2 September 2022. It was supposed to take three months, meaning it was supposed to be done by December of the same year, but the contractor failed to complete the project on time.
“The issue here is about payments between a contractor and the department because the contractor complained that the department does not pay according to the work done, which has now resulted in the project being halted.”
Wilson is seeking assurance from the department that the project will commence and be completed on time. Despite his attempts to get answers from department officials, he remains uncertain as to when the waterlogging on his farm will be fixed.
Apology from the NC government
In response to inquiries by Food For Mzansi, the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development sent a contractor with an excavator to Wilson’s farm on Tuesday, 4 April. However, the department’s spokesperson, Zandisile Luphahla, says that only an estimated 5 hectares of his land were affected by the waterlogging.
“The contractor has indicated that the project will be at a practical completion phase towards the end of April 2023,” Luphahla states.
“We are hopeful that the farmer will be able to commence with the planting of lucerne in May 2023, and if due to unforeseen circumstances the date would not be reached, the next planting dates would be June/July for wheat. We really apologise for any inconvenience caused to Mr Wilson.”
Wilson, on the other hand, disputes the department’s claim, stating that the entire farm is affected by the waterlogging and that the pipes need to be installed throughout the land to connect with other pipes.
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‘I have lost everything’
In the meantime, Wilson is facing threats from the bank to repossess his car and court summons for other debts payable. He emphasises that he cannot resume farming until the drainage pipes have been sorted out, as they are necessary for production.
“Many of the people who were working for me were breadwinners. Letting go of them was not easy but I had no choice. They are still unemployed because we know that getting a job here is extremely difficult,” Wilson adds. “Also, their livelihoods have been impacted. The farmers and community members who relied on my maize are left without a supplier.”
Saamtrek Saamwerk Northern Cape leader Pulane Sebodisa tells Food For Mzansi that while they appreciate the department’s efforts to support farmers, greater oversight and monitoring are needed for government-funded projects.
“We are disappointed in what transpired. As organised agriculture, we are saying whoever was trusted with heading this project must give answers to what really happened. We need to get answers to what led the contractor to leave the site,” Sebodisa says.
She calls on the department to take action against those implicated in the project not finishing on time.
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