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Fear lessl y the tr uth
Rural areas: FREE • Platteland: GRATIS
17 July 2013
T
Tzaneen Dam Wall Tzaneen Dam
A
Chicken effluence into Letaba river Proposed chicken broilers
Tzangeni
B
n tio llu ells o p sm ise No d bad an
Modipa’s residence
C
Located within town limits
Riverside
Half cocked
A scheme to establish a big chicken farming enterprise in Tzaneen by local multimillionaire Makapane Modipa, widely known as Colin MacP, owner of MacP Construction, has residents and farmers along the Letaba River all the way to Letsitele up in arms. The proposed location for three (to begin with?) broiler houses with a capacity of 50 000 chicks each, is across the road from Modipa’s palatial residence (referred to by people as Colin’s Palace) on the road to Deerpark and about five kilometers from Tzaneen’s CBD. According to a notice of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) the piece of land is known as “Portion 4 of the farm Doornhoek 535 LT within the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality”. Bordering on this piece of land are upper class residential areas such as Riverside and Tzangeni and the new Doornhoek Equestrian Estate is also almost right next to it. The process to clear the way for this development started
in February this year, when a newspaper advertisement announced the plan. At the end of May notices were served on various people in the area, to inform them of the EIA process. Only then did people realise that the proposed chicken broilers would be erected in an area that has already been approved (but not yet proclaimed) as a residential area within the town’s borders. Another interesting aspect is that LEDET (Limpopo Economic Development, Environment & Tourism) — a provincial government department — is clearly part of this scheme, meaning that the state is likely to finance the project (with ratepayers’ money). We spoke to numerous people who would be affected by such a farming activity and not a single one accepted it as feasible and permissable. “We will oppose this project and fight it tooth and nail. We will stand together and finance legal costs to oppose it in the
highest courts. Tzaneen cannot afford the Letaba to be polluted any more, the stink that would come from chicken farming — especially when it rains — will spoil people’s lives and hygiene in general will be compromised,” one of Tzaneen most prominent entrepreneurs said. People choose not to be identified at this stage, since they feel it is premature to show their hand now. The next step in the process is pending and in the mean time strategic planning is being done. “If this goes ahead, a showdown never seen before in Tzaneen will be witnessed,” one of the neighbours in the area warned. The map above shows the location of the proposed broilers and the adjacent ares that are in close proximity to this piece of land. The closing date for comments from interested and affected parties was Wednesday (10 July). — Francois Aucamp editor@bulletin.us.com