THE FUSE

The Taking Legislature to the People Programme brought the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture to Thimthok Agricultural Cooperative in Arnot, under Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, as part of an oversight visit focused on agricultural support and rural development. The visit provided Members of the Provincial Legislature with an opportunity to assess the support that the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs has provided to the cooperative. MEC Khethiwe Moeketsi and senior management appeared before the committee and the beneficiaries as the MPLs examined the progress and needs of the agricultural project. The engagement placed the experiences of farmers and beneficiaries at the centre of the oversight process. It also demonstrated the importance of taking legislative oversight directly into farming communities where government programmes are implemented.