The Musekwa-Ngundu community would like to know what had happened to the Musekwa Mbudzi Goat-Farming Project, initiated by the government in 2006.
The project, which was assigned a 1000-hectare piece of land a couple of meters from the Nzhelele Dam, was meant to benefit the entire community. Besides the goat-farming project, several other income-generating projects, including vegetable farming, were also expected to be implemented on that piece of land.
Sixteen years down the road, the community members now claim that the project has been hijacked by the village headman who, they say, had changed the project's name to the Musekwa Mbudzi Project.
The Musekwa-Ngundu community had apparently been farming on and living off that particular piece of land for many years before they had to give it up for the Musekwa Mbudzi Goat-Farming Project. They were told that the project would bring a better life for the community. "As this was our grandparents' land, I was not comfortable to stop farming, but after the authorities explained the project, I believed it would benefit the entire community," said Elias Manavhela (63), one of the community members.
According to the project's chairperson, David Murovhi, the project was worth R3.6 million, which was made available by the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) and the National Development Agency (NDA).
When it began in 2006, LEDA erected a fence and demarcated grazing camps, goat kraals, and dipping tanks. The NDA constructed offices and toilets within the project area and provided furniture, computers, tractors and four ploughs.
"In 2006, the project started running well and we submitted monthly reports to the NDA," said Murovhi. Any proceeds they got from selling the goats were accounted for. "But the then Chief Musekwa would visit the farm and take goats for his own use without payment. This was a challenge, as I was expected to account for any goats taken from the farm."
Murovhi claims that, in 2008, the headman moved in to take over control of the whole project, as he was apparently not comfortable with the project being controlled by the donors, VDM, LEDA and NDA. A new committee to run the project was elected in 2009 and Murovhi was kicked out. "As the new committee kicked in, we realised that more goats were disappearing without being accounted for. The project was no longer benefiting the community," Murovhi said.
Limpopo Mirror visited the project on Saturday, 5 March. The original fence had apparently been vandalised and a new fence erected in its place. New demarcations, allegedly initiated by the current headman, were found and no sign of the tractor or ploughs. Only a few goats were on a portion of the farm. Opposite the goats' area were some wilting cabbages and chilly plants.
"We realised that the headman is leasing this part of land for farming to someone, but we have never seen the proceeds," said Murovhi.
Several community members also spoke to the Mirror. Mr Solomon Nkamane (68) said he was happy when the project first started because he believed it would sustain the community. He is very disappointed that the only one who benefits from the project (or the lease of it) is the headman. "Before the project was initiated, I used to rely much on farming on that land. We want the project to be returned to the people," said Nkamane.
Ms Ronica Mugobi, who worked under the project from 2007 to 2014, also expressed her concern. "While the project was still doing well, we all benefited from the proceeds, but when the project was hijacked by the headman, we gained nothing." Mugobi feels that the project should be restored to benefit the community again.
The current headman, Mr Samson Ndaamato Musekwa, did not want to comment on the claims and accusations made by the community.