Charles Gaobohula Pelotshweu Mokobi

When former President, Sir Ketumile Masire stated that he was a farmer borrowed to the politics and ultimately the presidency, I could have sworn that he was reading my father, Charles Gaobohula Pelotshweu Mokobi’s life script and had substituted Public Service for the Presidency. Charles has been a cattle farmer all his life, even while on loan to the Civil Service for some time, cattle farming was always a vocation he has pursued with passion.

                           

Charles Gaobohula Pelotshweu Mokobi - Mperi – Ntombo – Khupe wa ka Nkobadole Ka Nswazwi Serowe

Born into a family of distinguished farmers, Charles established and managed Gumaa Gabee cattle post from its humble beginnings in 1978 and worked tirelessly developing the enterprise into the burgeoning free range beef cattle ranch it is today. Although farming is wrought with challenges, Charles’ commitment, dedication and hard work ensured that the enterprise served him very well and supported his family benevolently. He indicates in his memoirs that he could not have achieved what he has in life had it not been for the cattle farming enterprise. All his investments were funded to some extent by proceeds from this initiative.

A true master of his trade who knows when to surrender gracefully to age and hand over the baton to others to continue the race, and Charles has prepared well for this eventuality. In early 2011, he summoned us all his children to express his wish to scale down his participation in the running of the ranch and as he now prepares to retire, he embarks on an elaborate succession plan that will ensure sustained financial growth and development of the Gumaa Gabee business venture.

The Legacy Project enunciates this plan and presents a Business Case for free range beef cattle farming enterprise on Gumaa Gabee. The Business Case facilitates evidence based planning through a situational analysis that seeks to present a reasonable degree of understanding of the ranches current business environment with the view of ultimately establishing a policy and strategic framework that will provide operational direction and financial guidance for the enterprise.

The projects strategic goal is to transform the ranch into a viable business enterprise that offers produce and services that exceed expectations of the local and regional markets. The project will achieve this through institutionalising performance optimisation processes that improve livestock production and the commercial output of the ranch through increased turnover and profit maximisation.

The Legacy Project as the name suggests, builds on the great farming tradition of the Mokobi family and the heritage that Charles leaves. It ushers in the next generation of farmers through adoption of best practices and techniques to ensure that beef cattle farming on Gumaa Gabee remains relevant and profitable in the emerging sophistication and technological advancement of the 21^st century farming environment.