The highly esteemed Patrice Motsepe arrived in Kuruman on November 19, 2018 in the morning and met all traditional leaders of the region, including the mayor of Ga-Segonyana local municipality, Councillor Neo George Masegela.

Pursuant to his empowerment initiative Mr Motsepe and his foundation in consultation with the local leadership wanted to understand the real challenges facing the emerging farmers in the area and the broader projects to do with improving the lives of people especially those revolving around agriculture.

Personally prodding the farming community and chiefs in the meeting, Mr Motsepe was seemingly anxious to understand what could be done to lift sustainable hopes of emerging farmers. As the debate got warmer a myriad of reasons were in the offing pointing at the difficulties stifling agricultural projects in the district and the broader province.

Water scarcity in the Northern Cape is a perennial challenge or phenomenon that is classifying farmers according to layers of affordability. There was a unanimous agreement that water shortage is the stumbling block and means have to be found to improve the natural deficiency of the liquid.

Another important aspect brought to the fore was that while agriculture remains the topical subject at both subsistent and commercial practice, systems around it have evolved with time and therefore need modern technologies to stimulate production. Harnessing water from the ever-flowing fountain called The Eye has its challenges where very few individual farmers trapped the water for their selfish ends.

On a different note, some communal farmers said that it was difficult to diversify or specialise in farming. A good example was that one farmer had bought a special breed of a bull but that bull did not work for him but for the neighbours who had never planned the idea. There was also a clarion call for the availability of extension officers in the farming community to equip farmers with relevant information.

It was agreed that a working committee be launched to activate a farming model that will improve production in the region. In summary there was general consensus that farming activities in the area were grossly underfunded leading to deficiency of skills and less production.

 Mr Motsepe said that farmers, black and white, must pull together driven by one cause, the investment drive. Mr Motsepe promised that he will return in March 2019 for another engagement and to determine the extent of preparedness on the way forward.