The Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) is on the final stages of appointing a new operator for their farm at Tuli Block. This is according to the corporation head of corporate affairs and strategy Boitshwarelo Lebang.
Lebang was however cagey on details saying that their negotiations were at the moment critical and could not give more details on the matter.
“We will give all the information on this project after we have finalised the matter and signed all agreements”, she said. Sunday Standard had wanted BDC to shed light on who had been short listed and whether or not they are foreign or local businesses.
The only other information she could part with on the matter was that in their vetting process they will be looking at issues such as sustainability and technical expertise of the applicants.
Botalana Ventures’ operating company Talana Farms which used to operate in the farm on behalf of BDC was put under liquidation and has since been concluded.
Before liquidation, BDC which held a 33 percent stake in Botalana Ventures had requested the director of Botalana Ventures Jana Willemes to look for investors. Willemes who held 67 percent shareholding through his company called Itiya engaged Corporate Resource Management CRMS to look for investors on behalf of Botalana ventures before BDC approached the High Court to have the horticulture and ostrich company liquidated.
Despite funding from Choppies Group, BDC went ahead and applied that Botalana Farm should be placed under liquidation. BDC was accusing Botalana of failing to settle rent arrears in the range of more than P11 million.
But Willemes opposed the liquidation warning that it would be detrimental to BDC and creditors should the company be placed under liquidation as creditors would remain unpaid and BDC may not fully recover what Botalana Ventures owed to it.
