Use land rentals to develop firebreaks - chief

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Thursday June 24, 2010 00:00

 

'Renting farms nowadays costs anything between P4,900 and P6,000 from the P200 that used to be paid less than 10 years ago,' he said during debate at the Ntlo ya Dikgosi .

He said that the excess money could be used to create the firebreaks. He stated that farmers in the Western Sandveld, Kweneng and the CKGR have long requested the government to provide them with firebreaks between their ranches but nothing has been done. He explained that many veldt fires that could have been avoided have destroyed farmland in these areas.  Last year veldt fires ravaged the farms for more than two weeks, leaving over 50% of the area without vegetation.

Ramokwena said the need for firebreaks in the form of corridors between farms is essential because they also prevent livestock theft. He asserted that the creation of corridors is the responsibility of the government.  Kgosi Mmualefhe Mmualefhe of the Chobe Region stated that corridors are state land thus making them government responsibility. He said that farmers are expected to create firebreaks inside their farms. 'The government allocates farms to its people and the farms are usually measured,' he said.  He added that because of this, it is against the law to develop corridors because, 'you will be destroying what belongs to the government'.  Responding to the Chiefs, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dorcas Makgato-Malesu said they should differentiate between government responsibilities and farmers' responsibilities.

She said the government cannot take responsibility for everything. 'Is the government supposed to allocate farms to people, help maintain their livestock and help them maintain their own farms?' she asked rhetorically. Makgato-Malesu said creation of firebreaks is part of farm management. She urged farmers to take care of their farms just like people who are given plots in towns and villages. She said through the Agriculture Infrastructure Development Initiative (AIDI), the Ministry of Agriculture has played its part in providing strategic corridors to be used as roads.