District Municipality mismanagement

Despite repeated attempts to get a statement, the municipality remains silent.

After obtaining funding in 2007 to buy the Moshupatsela farm for a youth agricultural project promising to provide hundreds of people with jobs, the project was scrapped and the property left to squatters.

2 years ago the Herald published an article on the condition of the farm.

The squatters had torn down the structures, fencing and equipment to sell as scrap.

The land became densely overgrown with weeds, and the rubbish had been strewn all over the property.

Nothing much has changed since 2 years ago.

People are still squatting on the property.

Members of the public are unwelcome, and neighbours even have their lives threatened when entering or attempting to communicate with the security guards.

We paid a visit to the farm and spoke to the security guards, who have awarded themselves the title of “bosses” there.

According to the bosses, the municipality flagrantly doesn’t care about the property.

The orchard has over 40 000 trees, and when the mangoes are ripe, dozens of unidentified bakkies drive away with the fruit.

Surely there is an opportunity for mass job creation and real commerce here, despite the fact that the previous project had failed.

The question on everyone’s minds is whether the municipality is making a profit from the sales or not.

One of the bakkie drivers confirmed that they don’t get the mangoes for free – they actually pay money to a Giyani official for the loads.

The spokesperson of Mopani’s Municipality, Neil Shikwambana, was notified in detail of all the activities happening on the farm, as well as the complaints of the neighbours.

But so far there’s been no response.

Let us hope we aren’t facing the birth of a trend in sideline business ventures by the Municipalities ending in fraudulent profiteering and mismanagement.

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