MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – A model agricultural project of international significance in the Makhado Municipal Area has totally collapsed as "some members used their political status or positions to defraud the project."

Shocking allegations about the fate of the once illustrious Mapila Hydroponics Project (also known as Mandela Hydroponics) are contained in a motion which came up for consideration by the Makhado Municipal Council during its latest meeting.

The meeting, initially scheduled for Thursday, 29 April, took place on Tuesday 4 May, in the absence of the mayor, who is presently overseas.

The motion on Mapila Hydroponics was tabled by Cllr Mashudu Radamba of the PAC and seconded by Marubini Radzuma of the DPF. They attached a report from the Department of Agriculture to support their motion that no further funding be authorized for this project, pending a proposed investigation in order to attract donors for future projects "rather than frightening them away due to mismanagement of their donated monies."

The motion proposes an investigation task team be instructed to investigate how all the donations were used. In an attached report, bearing the stamp of the Dzanani Service Centre of the Department of Agriculture, a Mr C J Mathebula, who was involved in the initial establishment of the project, declares after a visit: "What I saw of the remains of a very prosperous project made my heart bleed".

The project was initially established with the help of a contribution of R970 000 for small farmers' development to enhance the production efficiency of the concerned farmers by financing the infrastructure part of the project. Apart from the considerable funding from the Department, several thousands of rands were also received from other donors like private and public institutions.

The Mathebula report states, amongst other things: "The project, which once was the envy of many development funders, has totally collapsed.

"The evergreen tunnels with the best quality crop around that was supplied to Venda Sun and Spar Supermarket and a host of other quality food buyers, have become dilapidated."

The report goes on to state: "After a long and protracted meeting with the beneficiaries, who have now selected a new committee, I offered to take up the books of the project and try to write them up, with the hope of establishing what might have gone wrong. Even elementary bookkeeping was not up to scratch...

"There is no evidence that money received was actually banked in the project's bank account ...

"At the end of the month, a cheque would be written out and cashed to pay wages. More often, the money paid out as wages was far less than the cash withdrawn. No one can explain what happened to the difference. Moreover, the cheque book is not available to verify transactions."

Beneficiaries also allege that an amount of R30 000 of the project's funds was invested by a previous chairperson with an unknown bank.

The Makhado Municipal Council decided this week to defer a decision on the motion to the next meeting.