More than R8 million was spent on the Richtersveld Growers farm, an initiative deemed strategically important by the Northern Cape provincial government. The project is on the banks of the Orange River in Namaqualand.
It is owned by the Richtersveld Communal Property Association (CPA), which has irrigation farms in areas like Dunvlei, Beauvallon, Brandkaros, Beesbank and Arriesdrift. Maize, raisin grapes, almonds, lucerne and seed potatoes are produced.
Mase Manopole, the Northern Cape MEC for agriculture, environmental affairs, rural development and land reform, said the financial investment was made because of the project’s major growth potential.
At her recent farm visit, she delivered potato planters, harvesters and trailers valued at R3.2 million. Furthermore, a maize and wheat harvester and a drying facility for raisins worth R3.5 million were also unveiled.
“The project has created more than 60 jobs and has the potential of creating even more jobs in the next four years or so. I would like to thank the CPA for making sure that they preserve and protect the land which was brought back to the community by government,” said Manopole.
“We have invested a lot of money into the project with the hope of seeing the livelihood of the people of the Richtersveld and surrounding areas being restored and impacted positively. We are happy with the work done by the CPA and strategic partners in making sure they turn the project into an economic powerhouse of the province.”
According to the department, they have invested a total of R8.3 million into the project. This will see a total production of 171 hectares of maize, 27 hectares of raisin grapes, 10 hectares of almonds, 89 hectares of lucerne and 13 hectares of seed potatoes in the next few years.
Richtersveld CPA representative Abraham Cloete said through partnerships the project has grown from strength to strength.
“A lot of jobs have been created already and we are hoping to create more, especially seasonal work opportunities. The provision of the implements by the department has assisted us to harvest more hectares of potato seeds which have been sold to commercial farmers.”
Accountability by CPAs
Meanwhile, Northern Cape agriculture role players called on government to ensure strict adherence to all policies by different CPAs.
“We applaud government for the great work it has done in the area of Namakwa which was drought-stricken in previous years,” said Saamtrek Saamwerk coordinator Sehularo Sehularo. “We call on government to make sure that the work of the CPAs are monitored. Many are dysfunctional and not working for the interest of the community, but only to enrich those in leadership positions.”
Sehularo said monitoring and evaluation is critical in assessing if the CPAs are needed or not. “We know of many unresolved issues regarding CPAs in the province that hinder development in some corners of the province.”
He added that government needed to prioritise the training of the people who are being entrusted with resources. “Government cannot pump money without giving necessary training to those accountable.”
Katlholo Mosiapoa, a member of the CPA in Madibeng village in Kuruman, echoed Sehularo’s sentiments.
“People who are under the structure of the CPA are those people who were forcefully removed from their land in the years of apartheid. Now government buys the land and gives it back, but because it is many families, a structure in the form of a CPA is formed.
“Those people – it might be 10 to 20 families – own that piece of land. That is not a community land, but specifically for those selected families. The mistakes comes when government puts us in the same brackets with the rest of the community, which is not the case.”
Mosiapoa believed that corruption and maladministration cause certain CPA forums to become dysfunctional and slowly lose its significance.
“I am part of Madibeng CPA in Kuruman,” he explained. “The past two committees that we had did not have the beneficiaries’ interest at heart. They wanted to enrich themselves. We have asked government to intervene.”
Mosiapoa claimed that because of infighting the farms that were given to them as beneficiaries have turned into white elephants while development of the farming community had come to a standstill.
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