News24 reports that the North West government believes Clover can still be convinced to keep its cheese factory, which is the biggest in SA, in Lichtenburg.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Clover was shutting down its Lichtenburg production facility and moving to KwaZulu-Natal, after years of service delivery issues and unsuccessful engagements with the Ditsobotla Local Municipality. Water and electricity disruptions, as well as impassable roads, are at the heart of Clover’s issues in Lichtenburg. Over 300 local jobs could be lost. But Ditsobotla's mayor, Tsholofelo Moreo, has hit back at Clover, saying that its stated reasons for relocating were "misleading and devoid of truth". Moreo said in a statement: "The municipality has constantly been engaging Clover about its intention to leave Lichtenburg, and in the same breath attending to all service delivery impasses, which are of great concern to the company." He added that the municipality assisted Clover with a borehole to help address water issues, and pointed out that Eskom was responsible for the supply of power, not the municipality. "As far as the terrible state of Beyers Naudé Road [which Clover objected to] is concerned, the municipality has been in constant engagements with the Department of Roads and Transport Management about the refurbishment of the road as it belongs to the department. Furthermore, the municipality has been doing its utmost best to maintain the road," Moreo indicated. Meanwhile, North West Premier Job Mokgoro has dispatched a political task team to meet with Clover’s management, in a bid to persuade the company to stay in Lichtenburg. Mokgoro believes that the intervention of the task team will result in Clover cancelling its relocation, despite the fact that Clover has already started moving operations.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Penelope Mashego at News24

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