The Northern Cape Government is to unveil on Saturday, 18 April 2009 one of its flagship land restitution projects that had been transformed into an ‘entrepreneurially sound land reform success case.’ The Droogfontein community outside Kimberley were restituted in 2006 to the tune of R43 million with ownership of 12 057 arable and grazing land amid having been forcefully removed from their ancestral land in 1947.

The MEC for Social Development Goolam Akharwaray will officiate at the ceremony showcasing government’s post-settlement support of over R2 million granted to the Droogfontein community through a range of irrigation implements. The MEC will also announce the list of projects to benefit from the Department of Agriculture and Land Reform’s R36 million Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP) allocation for this financial year.

Members of the media are invited to the unveiling:
Date:    Saturday, 18 April 2009; Time: 10h00; Venue: Droogfontein near Riverton outside Kimberley.
Enquiries: Phemelo Manankong – 072 215 7848/053 839 7861
Source: Directorate of Strategic Communications 

Editor’s Notes
The Droogfontein Communal Property Association consists of about 89 households. The enterprises currently undertaken include supply of a range of produce to national markets through marketing company Try Me! International with the owner of the company serving as a mentor-cum-investor. Try Me! International specializes in the supply of fresh produce to South Africa’s leading supermarket brands. Their agreement with Try Me! International seeks to address issues of skills transfer, financing and mentoring.

The Droogfontein community had also undertaken to venture into agri-tourism, mining and livestock farming through its corporate arm, Wheatfields Investments.  The community plans to expand on their current allocation of 300 hectares of water rights
The unveiling is also set to serve as a platform from which the Droogfontein Communal Property Association would express its unending gratitude to government for their shot in the arm that came through post-settlement CASP support package. The CASP allocation of R2 487 48,00 was used for the acquisition of  farming equipments like Dragline system, tractor, Boom Sprayer, Ripper with roller, fine seed precision planter, hydraulic offset disk, wheat planter, reversible /pivoting plough and Lucerne implements and others.