Wild game donations a step in the right direction

It was certainly a cause for celebration for a community in the North West over the weekend when Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy donated wild game to a black farmer who hopes to boost the local economy through his wildlife venture.

But, the event also revealed the damage done to far-flung parts of the country’s economy by the severe reallocation of government money, which had to be done to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kgosi Moefi Mabelane of the Baphiring Traditional Authority and Kgosi Godfrey Gasebone of Bakoena ba Morare Traditional Authority pleaded with Creecy to speed up local infrastructure development, citing rampant unemployment in the area.

She had little to offer other than the explanation of funds diversion for the Covid-19 emergency – a sad situation probably echoed in many small, struggling communities across the country.

In the more arid provinces like the North-West, game farming is an attractive option, because the carrying capacity of the land for wild animals is higher than it is for cattle, and unreliable, low rainfall makes crop growing more risky.

Hopefully, once the economy heads back to normal, the government must continue with projects like this – cost-effective ways to keep people on the land and in jobs.