The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Thursday, May 16, 1968 — The erosion of land by overstocking and bad methods proved a talking point at the annual conference of ICA committees in Gwelo today. Mr J H H Louwrens, Director of Conservation and Extension, said overstocking was the crux of the matter in the tribal areas. “It is as simple as that,” he said.

“I regret to say that there many farmers who are not observing sound principles of veld utilisation and when they get into trouble, they expect the Government to help. These farmers must realise that the country cannot entertain the idea of subsidising past abusive systems of land use in times of drought,” he said.

“I maintain that any farmers who have overstocked and neglected to build up a fodder bank where it has been possible for them to do so before drought, should be debarred from all forms of financial assistance which may be offered during a drought year.”

Mr Noel Robertson, Deputy Secretary for Internal Affairs, told the conference that £17 000 000 had been spent in the Tribal Trust Lands, but there was no recognition by the people there of the work. “They didn’t want it. They didn’t accept it. They showed us that they could do without our contours . . . ” he said.

But the department had come up with an Act which he thought was the answer, for it was based on the people themselves and gave authority to the tribal lands authorities. They had tried the Act in Victoria province and the results were gratifying.

In the district, the black spot of the country in its conservation became the brightest star, simply by getting the chief to order every farmer not to plough unless he conserved.