The development of the much-anticipated second phase of the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Scheme is set to start next year. 

The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Carl Schlettwein, said this when he officially opened the Keetmanshoop Agricultural, Industrial, and Tourism Expo. 

The government plans to bring 5,000 hectares of land under cultivation as part of the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Scheme, which is expected to create 11,000 jobs. 

A consultant has been hired for the irrigation scheme design. 

"Now we have made a little bit of progress up to now. The progress is that a total land area of about 12,000 needs to be acquired. Of that 12,000 hectares, 5,000 are identified to be suitable for irrigation. The other 7,000 are not for irrigation but for feedlotting and other related things can be used for. Of the 5,000 hectares we purchased, 3,800 and 1,200 are still in the process of being procured. There are some difficulties, but the project is far too important to be put in jeopardy because of those difficulties. So we are now determined to go through with this project, acquire the land, and finalise the second phase of the dam."

Schlettwein reminded the Keetmanshoop Town Council to initiate town expansion in preparation for the influx of workers who will be employed at the irrigation scheme, located outside the town. 

"Keetmanshoop will have to double in size to absorb those people, which now we are talking about 40,000, whatever. It's a big number of houses; it's a big number needed for infrastructure. That is for bulk infrastructure, water, power, roads, hospitals, schools, houses, and land. Neckartal will not work if we don't have the people here. So we must put hats together. Let's develop it together. How we build the houses, how we accommodate that workforce, and then also operate the irrigation scheme. It's a complex matter, but it needs to be addressed urgently so that we do not land ourselves again in a situation where we have a fantastic piece of infrastructure, but it is not usable because we didn't think far enough." 

Excited by new developments,  Keetmanshoop Town Council Management Committee member Johannes Vries appealed to any incoming president after the 27 November national elections to re-appoint Schlettwein in his current portfolio to oversee the implementation of the Neckartal Irrigation Scheme.