The Makana goat project is still on track despite many setbacks. The main glitch has been the mismanagement of funds which has resulted in management still having to search for more funding.
The goats are being housed at Lower Gletwyn Farm between Grahamstown and Manley Flats and by people trained by developmental NGO, Scientific Roets.
The Makana goat project is still on track despite many setbacks. The main glitch has been the mismanagement of funds which has resulted in management still having to search for more funding.
The goats are being housed at Lower Gletwyn Farm between Grahamstown and Manley Flats and by people trained by developmental NGO, Scientific Roets.
The project has placed an advertisement in Grocott’s Mail for tenders to provide milking parlours for the project. "We don’t have the internal equipment nor the budget for it but have approached Eskom to help us with the funding," said project manager, Simthembile Mamani.
Goat project chairperson Vuyisile Mamkeli added that they are even running out of funds to provide feed for the goats. "We are using the budget that was drafted by the previous management and have not changed a thing in it but the funds are running out and we can’t do anything but look for more funding," said Mamkeli.
Mamani said that some of the 175 goats they purchased in July were pregnant, so they had hoped for an increase to the flock. But even though the flock had grown to 184 they lost 30 goats to stress and heartwater disease, which is common because of the high number of game reserves in the area.
Heartwater disease affects domestic and wild ruminant animals and is transmitted by ticks. Mamani said the first setbacl was stress brought on by the change of environment with the goats finding it hard to adapt to the Eastern Cape and that this led to some miscarrages. In the flock there are three different breeds, Toggenburg, British Alpines and Saanens which are breeds that are not as resistant to heartwater disease as boer goats are.
"The disease can wipe out a whole flock if one is not careful. Because of this, the goats have to be housed in sheds." They are also hoping to employ a state vet from the Department of Agriculture to help to maintain the flock.
