An economic development, tourism and heritage committee meeting was told that multimillion rand Makana Goat Co-operative with Business Village Trust Project’s is being "undermined".
An economic development, tourism and heritage committee meeting was told that multimillion rand Makana Goat Co-operative with Business Village Trust Project’s is being "undermined".
The project, which is aimed at breeding goats and building a village where dairy and goat leather products would be sold, received over R4-million from the European Union last year.
While addressing the meeting, Makana councillor Thandeka Veliti said that the co-operative’s managers Terry Myburg and Qondile Bill were continuing to "undermine" the Makana council and municipality officials monthly meetings.
"For as long as personal problems exist in the goat project, the project is going nowhere," says Makana councillor.
She called for the Committee’s Chairperson councillor Nombulelo Masoma and acting Makana Economic Development Director Mandisi Planga to root out the problems.
Report questioned
Councillor Michael Whisson asked why the project’s progress report made no mention of goats that were already acquired and why there was no report from the co-operative to accompany that of the village trust.
The project’s report was rejected by the committee due to lack of answers to one these and other questions.
Makana Municipal Manager, Ntombi Baart said the project’s "institutional arrangement" is not clearly defined as there is no indication of "who reports to whom".
"The relationship between the co-op and the village is not clear," she said.
Makana Business Village Trust manager Nombulelo Habana said the village was moving "slowly, but surely" and that to iron out kinks in the project, a two-day workshop involving members of the co-operative and other stakeholders in the project would be held soon.
She said the lease agreement for the village is recommended to be valid for 10 years with an option to renew for two further periods of 10 years each.
"Once the recommendation is ready from the municipality it will be signed by the [village’s] Board of Trustees and Makana Municipality," said Habana.
Masoma, however, said the lease agreement was being signed so that the necessary infrastructure in the village could be built.
Veliti suggested that Baart attends all the meetings of the committee until the goat project was "on its feet".
Want to know more?
Goat Project gets new board of trustees
Goat project accountability questioned
Goat project’s business plan (PDF)
Goat Project’s cost data capture sheet
