He had to report on the department’s expenditure during the second quarter of this year. 

OFM News’ Elsabé Richard spoke to him about Covid-19 funds as well as the recent veld fires and what has transpired in Senekal in the past few weeks…

See PODCAST below

Covid-19 funds expenditure

Bulwane explains that the department has identified three areas where it will be spending Covid-19 funds. He says that the first area focuses on all employees that have now returned to work under the current lockdown level. The first area is to be able to decontaminate should an employee at the department test positive for the virus.

He explains that the second area the department plans on spending Covid-19 funds, are on district offices – to allow for decontamination once a positive case has been reported.

The last area includes stretching a helping hand to the farming communities in the province, by assisting farmers and their farmworkers who have tested positive for Covid-19.

Recent veld fires

A motion was recently accepted in parliament to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, to declare parts of the Free State a disaster area after recent veld fires.

In response to this, Bulwane states that he supports the committee, as this will offer an opportunity to channel resources to the affected areas to enable much-needed assistance. “That is why you’ll see in other instances there will be an account opened for that particular disaster [area],” explains Bulwane. He further adds that this will enable people to donate money directly into this account to assist those affected by the fires.

Senekal

Bulwane says, during his appearance before the Scopa, he spoke about the issues that have been surrounding Senekal. This, after the body of 21-year-old farm manager, Brendin Horner, was found at the farming town of Paul Roux in the province in early October this year.

He says he told the committee that when addressing issues pertaining to Senekal, “we should be sober enough, and be willing to help and condemn what has happened”.

Bulwane has also made an appeal that such activities should not be used for political point-scoring. He says political parties should instead offer help in order for people to have confidence in them.

Also, he says the situation surrounding Senekal - including the veld fires - should not be politicised. “We rather see how much can we help one another and try to solve the problem and get everybody on one course,” he adds.

OFM News