Farmers cry foul over travel permits
Koketso Kgoboge | Thursday April 23, 2020 20:27
The farmers said they were preparing for harvesting when the country was forced into a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They had anticipated a bumper harvest after heavy downpours late last year and early this year. But it appears recent developments have robbed them of reaping what they have sown.
Their attempts to secure permits to access their farming areas hit a snag when they were turned down by the agricultural authorities stationed at the Palapye Administration Authority (PAA) where a central point for issuing of such documents is stationed.
Principal technical officer, Animal Production, David Serumola, who is responsible for issuance of the permits in question said the documents are issued to farmers who choose to relocate in order to reduce movements.
“The problem arises when the farmers want to go to and from their lands and cattleposts on daily basis. We don’t issue a permit that allows for continuous movement, it would be against the efforts to control the spread of the pandemic,” Serumola said.
He added: “Other farmers had committed to relocating to their farming areas and we issued the permits. We understand their plight and the permits are there.”
A 63-year-old Rantsiane Gaosego who ploughs at Modibedi lands in the periphery of the village cried foul after he was stripped of the permit he was given initially. This was when new permits were introduced to replace the former.
Law enforcers advised him to secure a permit at the deputy district commissioner’s office. Gaosego endured a distressing two weeks of visiting the office and hitting a brick wall.
He complained that he was badly treated by the police and the council officers at the PAA offices.
“Sometimes we were forced to disperse and go home by the police without the authorities listening to us. On other days, they told us blatantly that there were no permits for farmers,” the elderly citizen said painfully.
Gaosego lives with eight children and three grandchildren at his Serorome ward house. He was worried he might lose all his crops that were ready for harvest.
He feared the birds have by now eaten all his potential harvest. The watermelons that he said were plenty have probably rotten in the field. He wanted to salvage what was left for his family.
The old man also keeps his cattle and goats at the farm. He express fear for their safety with absolutely no one at the farm to look after them.
He said he got worried when he learnt that only businesspeople including butchery operators that are known to cause sleepless nights for farmers qualified for the permits.
“Who is going to supply butcheries with cattle when some farmers are disallowed to access their farms? What is going to happen to our livestock that is there alone? Won’t this exacerbating stock theft?” the old man wondered.
A 65-year-old pensioner Othibeletse Mapotu of Lecheng raised sentiments similar to Gaosego. He has cattle at Sandvelt Farms where he wished to travel but was also denied the permit.
The elephants that were roaming the area recently destroyed his fence and he was in the process of fixing the fence to save his crops and animals.
He has two farmhands, and they have been calling incessantly because they don’t have enough foodstuff. He said after authorities had denied him permit he tried with the Kgosi but his efforts were futile as he was referred back.
“I gave up on getting the permit, but I am still worried about those children at the farm. As for my animals, I leave everything to God, there is nothing I can do when I am told my life and the safety of other people’s lives are better than my farm and my cattle,” the father of three said.