Seven newly qualified veterina-rians have joined the Depart- ment of Agriculture, Land Re-form and Rural Development’s vet- erinary services in the Northern Ca- pe. The initiative is part of the Com- pulsory Community Services (CCS) programme.The  CCS-programme  offers  the newly qualified veterinarians the op- portunity to render their much-need-ed services to rural areas and to gain valuable experience and knowledge under  the  supervision  of  the  quali- fied veterinary doctors. The  CCS-programme  runs  for  a year and is also part of taking veteri- nary services to the whole province – especially the far-flung rural areas. The  programme  was  introduced by  government  as  part  of  bridging the animal health services gap be-tween the urban and rural commu- nities in the country. The  newly  qualified  veterinarians will be based in the John Taolo Gaet- sewe,  ZF  Mgcawu,  Francis  Baard and Pixley ka Seme districts. The  newly  qualified  veterinarians will be based in the John Taolo Gaet- sewe,  ZF  Mgcawu,  Francis  Baard and Pixley ka Seme districts. The  department  wishes  them  all the best in their career endeavours. Department  of  Agriculture,  Land Reform and Rural Development