Farm Watch gives Mike an emotional farewell
On Thursday evening May 5, Hoedspruit Farm Watch said an emotional farewell to one of its core members, Mike Scott. Mike was one of the initial driving forces behind both the establishment, growth, and management of the organisation over the years.
Mike has retired and is moving with his wife Ronel, and the rest of his family to Stilbaai in the Cape. “After 14 years I am officially leaving the Hoedspruit Farm Watch. I have full confidence that the Farm Watch will grow from strength to strength because its effectiveness and the success of the system are not rooted in the presence or drive of just one individual, over the years we have evolved into a system that has a phenomenal management team supported by many individuals, that ensures success is a given,” said Mike.
Hoedspruit Farm Watch officially started in November 2008 and Mike was one of the original team of five that sat down the first time and decided that an organisation such as Farm Watch was necessary for the area. From there he has overseen the strengthening of the organisation as its chairman with his advice and wisdom.
“In 2008 we had serious mango theft happening on our farm, I got informants who came to buy mangos on the farm, they made then contact with the thieves and we started to realise that we had a serious problem on our hands. I soon came to realise that it was not just our farm that was affected but it was a much larger regional problem, influencing almost all farms in the Hoedspruit area.
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“I called a few farmers and a few of us got together to discuss the problem and we realised we were going to do something, that was the first meeting of Hoedspruit Farm Watch. The next meeting was a week or so later, was attended by 40 people, and the Hoedspruit Farm Watch was formed and registered as a non-profit,” he said.
The key to the Farm Watch’s success was the time, effort, and commitment of all the individuals involved, people diligently taking turns to patrol the Hoedspruit roads, farms, and town, every single night from November 2008. “Not only has Mike left such an indelible print on the community through Farm Watch, but many do not know that he was also one of the initiators behind what has to be one of the only successful land claim stories in the country,” said Jane De Pradines of Hoedspruit Farm Watch.
“For those that are not aware or are new to Hoedspruit, a large portion of the farms in our area are land-claim farms and belong to the Mollatele community.
“However, it is only through the guidance and leadership of Mike together with some of his co-farmers that they successfully guided this process and efficacious change, and through this, have helped the new landowners to successfully run their farms with management and guidance from the previous farmers.
“None of this would have been possible without the input of Mike,” she said. She also added that he has truly left his print on their town and they will all miss him dearly. “The only positive is that we now have someone to go and visit down on the Cape coast. “Mike, thank you for everything you have put into Hoedspruit and done for the community as well as your Farmwatch family.
“We wish you Godspeed and many years of sunsets and sundowners down at the beach. “You have well-earned your rest and we give you leave to take it, love it, and thrive in it. You will be missed in Hoedspruit and remember you will forever have a home here,” she concluded.
